OtherTale
by James Gravley
Summary: What if Chara hadn't ruined everything all those years ago? What if, instead, the humans stayed with their new family, waiting for the next soul to help them break the barrier? Rated T for mild language, mild sexual content and mild violence.
1. Chapter 1

**This game has consumed my entire existence. Please send help.**

-The Second Child-

Asriel couldn't help but be impressed. Most kids would have died if they faceplanted at maximum velocity. This girl, however, stood up like nothing was wrong and wiped off the front of his shirt. In fact, she seemed more upset that the ribbon in her hair had come undone than anything else.

"H-howdy!" the monster called to the girl, who jumped back in surprise. Asriel was surprised how much older she looked than Chara. "I-I'm Asriel. Asriel Dreemurr. My parents are the ones in charge of the Underground!"

The girl didn't speak for a moment. When she did, her words were carefully measured, as if she was trying her best not to freak out. "You're a goat."

"W-what?" Asriel asked. Chara had called him that several times before, but he never understood what she meant by it. "No I'm not! I'm a boss monster!"

The girl nodded. "Is that so? Are goats some kind of royalty down here?"

"I-I'm not a goat!" Asriel balled his hands into tiny fists, but felt tears burning at the corners of his eyes. Crud, he couldn't start crying in front of this human! Chara already thought he was a crybaby…

The girl smiled suddenly. "My apologies, Prince Asriel Dreemurr." She bowed low, throwing Asriel off guard. He was used to girls curtseying. Maybe things were different for humans?

"You don't seem surprised by my appearance," the girl spoke. "Perhaps you have seen a human before?"

Asriel nodded eagerly. "Y-yeah! There's Chara, my sister."

"Your sister is a human?"

"Yup!"

"And you're a monster?"

"You've got it!"

The girl nodded. She looked back at the opening she had fallen through. "Maybe that fall did kill me, and this is just my version of the afterlife. That would explain a few things, at least."

Asriel couldn't help but snicker a little. "Well, after a fall like that, there must be a few things that need healing. Come on, I'll bring you to my mom. She's awesome with healing stuff!"

The girl lingered in the bed of flowers, before grabbing hold of Asriel's outstretched paw.

"Alright. By the way, my name is Amy."

The king and queen fell immediately in love with Amy, of course. By the time the day had ended, they had even already started referring to her as their child. Amy looked mildly put off by this, but was happy nonetheless. Chara, however, had a very different outlook on the new girl:

"Listen, we were doing fine down here before you fell down. Don't think you're actually a member of our family."

"Argumentatively, you're not even an actual member of this family. You're simply their adopted child." Amy's matter-of-fact tone did nothing to calm Chara down.

Asriel, sensing danger, had quickly gotten between the two girls, and pulled Chara away to play with him. She shot Amy one final dirty look before marching off behind Asriel.

That night at dinner, Toriel finally got around to her interrogation of her new daughter. "So, Amy, tell me a little about yourself!"

"What exactly is it you're looking to hear?" Amy asked, making Chara scoff.

"What she means is that we know literally nothing about you, but you still act like you're a member of our family," Chara growled.

Asgore made to reprimand Chara, but Amy cut him off. "Don't worry, Mister and Missus Dreemurr. It is perfectly normal for someone Chara's age to act out against anyone they are not acquainted with."

Chara blushed furiously, but Asgore managed to speak before the explosion. "You seem quite knowledgeable about this subject, Amy. Would you care to elaborate?"

Amy smiled. "I am a psychology major at Harvard. I'm only in my sophomore year, but I still consider myself as being rather well-informed about matters of the mind."

Toriel nodded, but her face clearly stated she didn't understand.

"She's a second-year at college," Chara sighed. Toriel nodded, but then perked up.

"B-but that would mean you're-"

"Twenty years old," Amy clarified. "Quite some years above these two," she gestured to Asriel and Chara, who both looked mildly offended, "but still younger than someone like yourself."

Toriel's look immediately showed she wasn't sure if she had been insulted or not. Amy spoke before she could figure it out.

"I was at Mt. Ebott in an attempt to disprove the rumors that there was a hidden community beneath the mountain. However, it seems those rumors were well-founded."

"Well, we're happy that you acknowledge our existence," Asgore laughed.

"I still haven't ruled out brain injury and hallucinations," Amy muttered, making everyone laugh.

"Well, compared to Chara, your injuries are rather trivial. Just a few bruises, and I'm pretty sure your nose is broken, but it's nothing that magic can't solve quickly enough," Toriel chuckled.

Amy sat up. "Magic? Are you implying you can use magic?"

Toriel nodded. "Indeed. Everyone at this table can use magic, even Chara! All it takes is practice, and exposure to others using magic. In fact, I would be unsurprised if you yourself are able to use magic by the time the other five have gathered."

"Five?" Amy said, her expression blank.

Asgore's face, however, clearly showed signs of pain. "You have heard the legend of monsters, I presume?"

Amy shook her head. "Only what I've heard from rumors. Aren't you guys trapped down here by a magical barrier?"

"Yeah," Asriel said. "And the only way out is by the combined strength of seven human souls. We've already got Chara, and with you, that means we still need five more."

Amy frowned. "But I need to leave the Underground as soon as possible. I have a paper due a week from tomorrow!"

Asgore's expression was pained. "I'm afraid that is impossible. If you had a monster's soul, you could cross through the barrier, but it would be left intact. Even then, obtaining a monster's soul would be very difficult for you, if not impossible."

"C-can't I just take the soul of a monster who's died? I mean, they won't be needing it anymore!"

"I'm afraid that wouldn't work," Toriel sighed. "Monster's souls last for only a short time after their bodies turn to dust."

"So then, the only way for me to get a soul…" Amy's eyes widened.

"Is to kill a monster," Asgore confirmed, looking pained. Toriel, however, looked mildly angry about something. Amy wasn't sure, but she thought she saw Toriel glaring at Asgore when he spoke.

Amy's voice was monotonous. "If that's what it takes for me to leave, so be it."

Toriel's scream was cut short by Asgore standing and pulling out his trident.

"I warn you, child," Asgore's voice was like a rolling storm. "Speaking like that could make people get the wrong idea about you."

"What's the wrong idea? That I might be willing to kill to get out of here?" Amy pulled a knife out of her back pocket, and flipped it with surprising skill so it was facing Asgore's face. "Because that idea is very well-founded. I have people I care about, places I still need to see. There are people on the surface who need me. I will not let them down."

Despite everything, Asgore couldn't help but let out a little laugh. "You remind me so much of a monster I was training earlier today. I feel like the two of you would get along."

Amy's expression softened a little, but the knife remained pointed at the king. "I am not here to make friends. No matter how this ends, I will not be spending another day down here, King Asgore. Prepare yourself."

Without another word, Amy charged.

"I-I can't believe you actually attacked Asgore," Asriel said by Amy's bed. Amy tried to glare at him, which was difficult with the brace around her neck.

"I'm more surprised that hit didn't kill you," Chara snickered. "Not such a genius now, are you?"

Amy's eyes narrowed. The fight, if it could even be called that, had lasted barely a minute. Asgore merely needed to swing his trident to send her flying out the nearest window and plummeting to the earth below. She had landed on her face (again), but this time had it much worse off: her neck was, for all intents and purposes, broken. By some miracle, she hadn't died, but was now bedridden for at least the next few months.

"Hey, Az? Why don't you go get Mom, and tell her that Amy may need some more healing?" Chara asked her brother. Asriel nodded and ran out the ward, eager to have such an important job.

"I know why you did it," Chara said once the monster was out of earshot. She pulled out the knife Amy had used, and laid it down on the headboard. "Don't bring a toy to a fight like that again, you got it? Otherwise, your plan just may end up working."

"Was it really that obvious?" Amy chuckled, sending pain shooting through her body.

"Only to me, and only because I considered doing the same thing after I first got here. You were trying to provoke Asgore into taking your SOUL, right? So he could get through the barrier?"

Amy nodded. "These monsters have shown more kindness to me in one day than any human did in twenty years. They don't deserve to be trapped down here. If Asgore could get through, he could take the other five souls he needed."

"Come on, you really think Asgore has it in him to kill anyone? No, your death would have simply depressed him even further. All we can do is wait for the next human to fall down here. Hopefully this next one will prove to be more intelligent than either of us."

"Well, they'll have to put up with a Harvard student."

Chara sighed and shook her head. "Honey, you've got book smarts. I'll give you that much. But when it comes to judging people's character, and trying to think up a real plan? You're as clueless as I am."

"How long had you been down here before I fell down?" Amy asked.

Chara shrugged. "No idea. Maybe a year or two? You lose track of time down here. You can't keep track of the sun to mark night and day, so time just kind of blends together. You'll get used to it down here, trust me. I was just like you when I fell down that damn mountain."

Amy chuckled. "Well, I guess patience really is a virtue." Her aqua-colored soul hummed softly in her chest, content for the first time in quite a long while.

 **Hey, guys! For those of you reading my Overtale series, this is completely unrelated to that one! So, if you came into this expecting a prologue to Overtale, you're just gonna end up being really, really confused. Other things to note: this story takes place in a modern day AU, and since Chara never went through with her plan with the flowers, Asriel is also not a soulless demon hell-bent on world destruction. Chara, however, is still a bitch.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Forgot to post this last chapter: I do not own Undertale or any Undertale-related terms.**

-The Third Child-

The boy hit the ground with an audible "Oof." He was silent for a second. Then for another second.

In fact, and hour later, when Amy and Chara stumbled upon him on their daily walk, they were all but certain he was dead. A loud snore that burst forth from him convinced them otherwise. Chara couldn't help but be amused.

"Falls down a few hundred meters, possibly breaks several bones, and he decides to take a nap? Seems pretty legit," she spoke, making Amy snicker a little. Maybe it was the fact that she was the only other girl down there that was even sort of close to her age, but Chara had grown surprisingly close to her new sister.

Amy looked the boy over, and couldn't help but be utterly underwhelmed with what she saw. Tall, scrawny, and very pale. In fact, the only interesting feature the boy had was his hair: a deep orange, giving the impression that his head was covered in rust.

Amy herself had changed during her month in the Underworld, as well. Her at one time strawberry blonde hair had darkened to the point where she could almost be called brunette, and now fell almost to her waist. Her training in magic had also taken its toll on her body, and she was walking with a mild limp, which Chara assured her was perfectly natural and would wear off in another week or two.

"I'll take his arms, you take his legs?" Amy suggested, and Chara nodded. Even with their combined strength, the two girls could barely lift the snoozing boy. He was a lot heavier than he looked. He muttered something when they picked him up, and Amy was hopeful that he would wake up so they wouldn't have to carry him, but he went back to dreamland quickly enough.

Chara let out an annoyed huff and lifted his legs. "You realize this would be a lot easier with magic, right?"

Amy smiled apologetically. "Yeah, sorry Chara. But, I'm on strict orders from Toriel to keep away from magic until my body becomes more accustomed to it."

"Then let me do it," Chara chuckled wickedly, twirling her fingers. The boy suddenly felt a lot lighter in Amy's arms, before he floated up a few inches and came to a rest, lying perfectly straight.

Amy was really close to actually being impressed, when Chara waved her fingers again and accidentally hurled the boy into the nearest wall. He fell out of the crater he had created, hit the ground with another annoyed grunt, and then resumed snoring.

Chara, noticing Amy's smirk, grumbled a little. "Yeah, yeah. Let's try it your way."

* * *

Toriel almost cried when she saw her 'daughters' come into view.

"Do you girls know how worried I was? You've been gone much longer than expected, and with Amy's limp, you really shouldn't-"

She stopped short when she saw what the girls had brought her. She stared at the boy, then glanced up at Chara. "Is he still alive?"

"We think so," Amy said. "Though, he hasn't done much during that last mile or so…" She released the boy's arms, causing his head to hit the ground hard. He let out yet another grunt, and then snored on. "Yup, he's alive."

"He won't wake up, though," Chara said, mildly amused. "I think the fall knocked him stupid."

"Chara, that's rude," Toriel chastised. "He could be seriously injured. We should take him inside. Don't let your father see him, though. You know how…overeager he gets." She grabbed the boy and threw him over her shoulder. Chara couldn't help but envision a huntress with her prey.

They had taken roughly three steps into the castle when Asgore walked through the door on their right. "Tori, have you seen my cape? I seem to have-" Asgore stopped dead and stared at the human. He was silent for the longest time. Asriel, having a sixth sense when it came to awkward situations, had walked in behind him, but he, too, fell silent when he saw the boy sleeping over his mother's shoulder.

Asgore broke the silence by letting out a loud whoop and pulling the boy into a tight hug. Even Chara was getting nauseous by the time Asgore finally stopped spinning him around, letting out cries of joy and phrases like: "I always wanted a son!" (Asriel did not look even a little pleased by that.) When the celebration was over, the boy was still sleeping on, and Toriel was seriously worried about brain damage by this point.

"Dad, what did you mean you always wanted a son?" Asriel said, tears brimming around his eyes. "D-don't I c-count?" He sniffled a little, and the human in Asgore's arms opened his eyes. The room fell silent once more, other than the stray sniffle or sob from Asriel.

"S-someone crying?" the boy muttered pulling himself from Asgore's grasp. He kneeled down to eye level with Asriel. "Hey there, kid. What's wrong?"

"I-it doesn't matter to you," Asriel sniffled, wiping his eyes.

The boy chuckled a little, the pulled a pack off his back that neither Amy nor Chara had noticed. "Maybe it isn't my problem, but I can't stand to hear kids cry. Hopefully, it didn't get too smashed up…" he fumbled around with his bag a bit, before pulling out a crumpled white bag. From within there, he pulled out a handful of cookies, which he offered to Asriel.

"I'm not sure what's wrong, but there's no problem in life food can't solve," the boy smiled softly. Asriel looked nervous about taking food from a stranger, but politely bit into one of the cookies. His eyes lit up as he virtually inhaled the rest of the treats the boy had offered him.

"T-thanks, mister," Asriel said, smiling at last. Chara and Amy let out sighs of relief. They hated having to deal with Asriel's tantrums. This boy, it seemed, was going to fit in very well.

For now, though introductions would have to wait, as the boy had fallen asleep almost immediately after Asriel calmed down. Asgore picked the boy up, marching towards the infirmary.

"Tori, I may need your help. You always were better with healing magic than me…"

* * *

Toriel, as it turned out, was unable to cure the boys sleepiness. During one of the rare times he was awake, he explained he had suffered from narcolepsy for as long as he could remember, and that there was absolutely nothing to worry about. Toriel, however, couldn't help but be worried, and had Dr. Gaster create an enchanted bandana that would keep him awake. Amy tried to point out that 'that's not how narcolepsy works,' but no body listened, so she just dropped the subject.

The boy, who still hadn't formally introduced himself, had no objection to wearing this bizarre piece of clothing, and in fact seemed grateful for the opportunity to not sleep for twenty hours a day. Three days after he fell into the Underground, he finally got the chance to speak with his new guardians.

"I'm guessing you've got more than a few questions about me?" the boy asked Toriel at the table during dinner. Everyone eagerly waited for him to explain himself. "Well, I hate to disappoint, but even I'm having some trouble remembering. Hell, I can't even remember what my name is," the boy snickered a little. "Ain't that just a kick in the pants? I must've knocked my head during that fall."

Chara and Amy shared a guilty look at each other, but said nothing.

"Regardless, I'll tell you what I do know. I climbed that mountain looking for a place to just get away. Give myself some space, you know? But, I stumbled on that hole. When I tried to turn away, my narcolepsy kicked in and I fell asleep. I don't remember much after that, but I would guess my body's momentum sent me sprawling."

"Is there anything else?" Asgore asked eagerly.

"Nah, that's about it. I've got no idea when my memories are coming back, but frankly, I don't miss 'em much. I have a feeling they weren't very happy…" the boy trailed off, a weird look on his face.

"Well, we need something to call you," Toriel chimed in. "Do you possibly remember any nicknames you had? Perhaps a letter or two of your real name?"

"Heh, I've got nothing. I'm drawing a blank. How about…" the boy's eyes lit up, "Rusty? That…that sounds familiar…"

"It's decided, then," Amy affirmed. "Welcome to the Dreemurrs, Rusty!"

* * *

A few days later, Toriel was in the middle of a panic attack.

"Has anyone seen Rusty? Oh, dear goodness, I haven't warned him about where not to go in the Underground!"

Asgore virtually flew into the room, a look of anger and fear on his face.

"Chara told me he took Asriel out for a walk!"

Toriel calmed down, ever so slightly. "Well, I've told Asriel where not to go, so at least he'll have some guidance…"

"I wasn't finished," Asgore gasped. "They left almost five hours ago!"

Toriel's face cleared of all emotion. "I am not losing both of my sons today. Asgore, I hope you will not sit by while your son and daughter are in danger." Asgore flashed a guilty smile. " Asgore, get Chara and Amy. We're going on a field trip."

* * *

"So, why aren't we allowed to go to Waterfall?" Rusty asked Asriel, who was perched on the human's shoulders.

"Mommy said there are bad monsters there, that don't agree with some of Daddy's ideas. Not to mention, they apparently think that just killing the humans and taking their souls would be a lot easier on everyone."

"Well, I don't see what she's making such a fuss about. My motto is, 'there is no situation you can't talk your way out of!' Well, at least I think that's my motto…"

Asriel giggled a little. He had liked Rusty ever since that day almost a week ago. Was it really only a week? Asriel thought to himself. It seemed like so much longer than that.

"Hey, what this thing?" Rusty asked, pointing at a large flower that was glowing blue. "It's really trippy."

"I think they're called Echo Flowers, or something like that," Asriel asked, getting down from Rusty's shoulders. "I think they can play back what the last thing said near them was."

"Well, let's test it out, shall we?" Rusty grinned, and tapped the flower gently. A hoarse voice rang out through the cavern.

"Yeah, the royal brat and the new human are making their way down here. Everyone good on the plan?"

Rusty's expression darkened. "Asriel, get behind me," he ordered, just in time to get in the way of a bolt of thunder traveling towards the young monster's chest. He doubled over, but stood up almost instantly, a thin line of blood making its way down from his forehead. "Damn it…I fucked up…"

"Heh, you humans are all the same," the monster stepped out from the shadows. It appeared to be a horse with the head of a lion. "Standing in the way of everyone's plans. Don't worry, though. I'll silence you here and now!" The beast let out a mighty roar, more bolts of electricity flying towards the two boys.

There was a massive explosion, and a cloud of ash blocked the monster's view. He snickered a little, thinking it was over, only to see the human still standing there when the dust cleared. Asriel stood behind the human, tears streaking his muzzle.

"You just made a really big mistake, buddy," Rusty growled, pulling a frying pan out from his backpack. "I was going to try and talk this out. But you just made a child cry. And I'll never forgive you for that."

It was another thirty minutes before Toriel found Rusty and Asriel. Luckily, it appeared that no one was around the two, but they did look rather beat up. Asriel looked a little banged up, but no worse for wear. Rusty, however, looked like he had been dragged through hell by an out of control demon. Clothes ripped, wounds oozing blood, two black eyes, ash covering most of his body.

Amy fainted when she saw her new sibling. She always did hate blood. Chara, however, set to work, grabbing bandages and gauze at Toriel's request. Tears continued streaking down Asriel's face.

"I-it's all my fault," he sobbed. "It was me they were after. A-and I should have told him not to go to Waterfall."

"Let's not worry about that now, my child," Toriel said, voice surprisingly calm. "For now, we need to get Rusty medical attention. Chara, help me lift him," Toriel ordered, and her daughter gave a short nod before grabbing Rusty's legs.

* * *

"Geez, two kids, two visits to the same hospital bed," Chara chuckled. "I think this family is bad luck."

"Heh, I guess you're right," Rusty snickered. "How's Azzie doing?"

Chara raised her eyesbrows. "Nicknames already? You two seem to be hitting it off. I just hope he never finds out what you did."

Rusty's eyes narrowed. "Was it that obvious?"

Chara shook her head. "I only realized it when I saw the pan in your backpack. I hope you realize how hard it is to wash dust off of a pan without anyone noticing."

"I didn't mean to kill him," Rusty growled. "He attacked me."

"Of course, dear brother, but you'll soon find how weird monsters are. They see no problem with attacking you, but the second one of them is injured, it's a scandal."

Rusty thought about it for a second. "Does Azzie know?"

"No, he was unconscious during your fight. You should consider yourself lucky nobody noticed what you did."

"There were monsters who noticed. Others in the gang that attacked us."

Chara reeled back in surprise. "What happened to them?"

Tears cut a path down Rusty's face. "I killed them. All of them. There were five members total, and now they're dead. Dammit…" Rusty's voice got a little funny, and Chara noticed he was full-out sobbing by this point. "They had families…they may have wives, and kids…."

"Hey," Chara muttered, "they attacked you. You're the good guy in this situation."

Footsteps warned them of Toriel's approach. "Listen, you'd do best not to tell anyone about this. Not only would it hurt you, it would hurt Toriel, Asgore, and everyone else here."

She left without another word, pausing in the hall to greet Toriel.

"Hello, my child," the monster said as it entered the room. She froze when she noticed Rusty. "Whatever is the matter, Rusty?"

Rusty looked her dead in the face, his green soul beating wildly in his chest. "Mom…I did something bad…"

 **I like to refer to this as the "damn it" chapter:**

…

 **Amy: I hope my new sibling will be awesome!**

 **Rusty: Zzz**

 **Amy: Damn it.**

…

 **Chara: Let me show my magic!**

 **Rusty: *flies into wall***

 **Chara: Damn it.**

…

 **Toriel: Where have you been?**

 **Amy & Chara: *holding unconscious boy***

 **Toriel: Damn it**

…

 **Asgore: I always wanted a son!**

 **Asriel: *cries***

 **Rusty: Damn it.**

…

 **Rusty: I have no memory. I must've bumped my head.**

 **Amy & Chara: Damn it.**

…

 **Toriel: At least Rusty took Asriel with him.**

 **Asgore: It's been several hours!**

 **Toriel: Damn it.**

…

 **Rusty: We're perfectly safe!**

 **Echo Flower: Let's get them!**

 **Rusty & Asriel: Damn it.**

…

 **Mugger: *attacks Asriel***

 **Rusty: You done goofed.**

 **Mugger: Damn it.**

…

 **Rusty: At least no one knows what I did!**

 **Chara: You killed a monster!**

 **Rusty: Damn it.**

…

 **Chara: At least you only killed one!**

 **Rusty: About that…**

 **Chara: Damn it.**

…

 **Chara: Don't tell anyone!**

 **Rusty: *tells Toriel***

 **Chara & Toriel: Damn it.**

…

 **And that's pretty much a summary of how this chapter went down!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notice: There is some blood in this chapter. Mostly Asgore's. Actually, it's all Asgore's. This is not a good chapter for the king…**

 **-4 chapters remain-**

-Life As Usual-

"Again," Asgore commanded. Amy took a shaky breath before getting back on her feet. Ever since that incident weeks ago, Asgore had been training Amy and Rusty to be a member of the Royal Guard. Rusty had been extremely opposed to the idea, but warily agreed when he was told he would be Asriel's personal guardian. He did, however, have one rule: he would not kill ever again.

"You're wearing down, Asgore," Amy chuckled, wiping the sweat from her brow. Neither of them were wearing anything above the waist, save for a few bandages coving Amy's breasts. Asgore, of course, didn't have boobs (even if Rusty made occasional jabs at him for putting on a few pounds…), so he was completely bare.

Rusty loved these training sessions. It helped him to take his mind of her still un-returned memories. Try as he might, there was simply nothing to his life before entering the Underground. But here and now, it was Amy's turn with Asgore. Though the other trainees had laughed at them for using such mediocre weapons (a toy knife and a frying pan,) their smiles quickly vanished as the humans fought her way through the entrance exams. This year alone, nearly three hundred monsters (and two humans) tried out for the right to call themselves a Royal Knight.

Only three rounds later, and only twenty hopefuls remained. Many complained about having to try and match two human souls, but one glare from Asgore quickly shut them down. But Amy, try as she might, was having serious troubles in one very vital area: magic.

Rusty had recently bloomed as a spellcaster. His healing and water magic swept away any foes in a nonlethal way, easily clearing him a spot in the final ten. Amy, though, had no idea even where to begin. She had tried practicing fire magic with Toriel at first.

After Rusty put out the house with his water magic, it was quickly agreed that Amy should never attempt to use fire magic again.

In fact, elemental magic just seemed to dislike Amy. Between the fire, the tidal wave, the earthquake, and the hurricane, the problem quickly became evident: Amy had no self-control. Her spells would spiral out of proportion worryingly quickly.

With elemental attacks out of the way, Asgore instead had taken to tutoring Amy on formation-based magic. By some miracle, a knight was born.

"Again," Asgore ordered once more, and Amy took stance. She closed her eyes and concentrated with all her might. Slowly, she felt her toy knife grow heavier in her hand, slowly melting and reforming until she was holding a very real, very dangerous looking serrated knife. A flick of the wrist later, an identical knife was in her opposite hand.

"Hold Stance," she muttered, crouching down. "Hornet's Nest."

The knives twisted and contorted until she was holding three smaller daggers between each finger. If she had learned anything from Asriel, it was that giving something an over-the-top name instantly made it a million times cooler.

She ran over the drill in her head. _Hold position, wait for the opponent to make the first strike. Ready Hornet's Nest for close range combat. Hold Stance doubles damage during return strikes. If opponent remains unmoving, switch instead to Shadow Stance and Horizon, dealing extra damage against foes that are immobile. Last Chance and Web of Blades should only as a last resort._

"Ready," Amy called to Asgore, who nodded and lifted his trident. That spear had struck so much fear into Amy her first day of training. Still did, in fact.

"Ready," Asgore called back. His trident struck the ground, causing a localized earthquake in the living room. Toriel, who was acting as referee, sat lazily on the couch.

"Alright, you two, just try not to be so rambunctious ther time. Asriel's upstairs taking a nap, and Rusty's…also taking a nap," she finished gingerly. Ever since what had happened with Rusty, he seemed to be sleeping a lot more. She shook her head sadly, and continued. "Lastly, if you so much as touch my new set of tablewear, I'll show both of you the true terror of magic."

"Yes, ma'am," both warriors said sheepishly. Taking advantage of the distraction, Amy melted into the ground.

Asgore sighed with frustration. "I keep telling you; Shadow Stance is never a good idea to lead off with. I can simply trace the shadow moving across the floor to see where you are. You need to wait until the enemy is already distracted, and then vanish."

"Would this count as a distraction?" a voice hummed from behind Asgore, who realized his mistake far too late. "Hornet's Nest," Amy chuckled, driving her fist, and the daggers, into Asgore's back. The Boss Monster doubled over, panting heavily.

"W-well played," he gasped. "Tori, dear? I could use some assistance."

"Of course, dear," Toriel said, rushing to her husband's side. "Amy, would you be a dear and remove both yourself and those knives from my husband's spine?"

"Actually, Mom, they're daggers. You can see by the way they're-"

"My child, this is no time to make a point," Toriel sighed. "Would you just be so kind as to remove them?"

Amy shrugged, and ripped the daggers out.

Rusty was woken up by a loud shriek from a few floors down. He yawned widely and felt around a bit, grabbing onto a tuft of fur that was currently curled up against his chest. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he got a good look at the monster child that was currently fast asleep, halfway on top of him.

 _How'd he sleep through that yell?_ Rusty thought to himself. _It even managed to wake me up!_

Upon closer inspection, though, he noticed something: Asriel was back onto manual drive. He was just pretending to still be asleep so he could stay close to his 'guardian.'

"Can't blame you for that, kid," Rusty murmured, scratching the top of Asriel's head lightly. "I am pretty awesome."

Asriel adjusted himself slightly, so he was lying completely on the human boy. Rusty couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Asriel was so freaking adorable. And soft...and…warm...and….Zzzzz.

Toriel was totally not panicking at the moment. "Okay, we need a way to clean the wounds. Amy, any idea?" Amy, however, was too busy fainting to come up with anything useful. "This girl and blood just do not go well together," Toriel sighed. She pressed her hand against Asgore's back and muttered a few incantations under her breath. The wounds began closing, but there was still a lot of blood loss, and all the fur on his back was stained red.

Asgore grunted in frustration. "Blood does not wash out easily, you know?"

Toriel couldn't help but be impressed. "For someone who just lost a lot of blood, you're surprisingly not as out of it as most would be."

"Who said that?" Asgore drowsily looked around, then followed Amy's pristine example and hit the ground with a dull thud.

Toriel lightly patted Asgore's back. "Sleep it off, honey. Sleep it off."

Chara, by this point, had wandered into the room and saw her mother standing around two unconscious bodies, one of which was covered in blood. She looked at Toriel. Then she looked at the bodies. Then she looked at Toriel. Then she looked at the bodies.

She turned and walked out of the room without a word.

Later that night, the dinner table was rather empty. Asgore was still in the infirmary, Amy was still unconscious, nobody had seen Chara for several hours, and Asriel was still sleeping with a pillow that was dressed up like Rusty, complete with a recording that randomly spewed out the human's sayings (Have a frownie? Eat a brownie!). That left Toriel and the real Rusty to have a surprisingly pleasant night together. Rusty handled all of the cooking, cleaning, and housework while Toriel just had the evening to relax.

"Are you sure you don't need a hand?" Toriel asked for what seemed like the millionth time. Rusty sighed.

"I'm fine, Ms. Toriel. Besides, after everything you've done for me, I feel it's only fair for me to give something back. I mean, you took me in, a complete stranger, and you've shown me so much love and affection. I'll never fully repay you, but I want to do as much as I can."

"I never did get around to asking you this," Toriel said, "but how old are you? You seem to be rather mature, but you still give off the impression of someone not fully grown."

Rusty thought about it, and his face lit up. "Hey, I actually do remember my age! I turned sixteen yesterday," he said. Toriel's face fell.

"It was your birthday yesterday, and you didn't tell anyone?"

Rusty shrugged. "It didn't seem important. Between the schooling, the training for the Royal Guard, and playing with Asriel, it just seemed to get mixed in with every other day."

Toriel's eyes flared. "That is unacceptable! You will be having a birthday party, and you will enjoy it!"

Rusty was taken aback by this sudden outburst. "Why's this so important to you? It's not like I'm your real kid. You don't have to be so nice to me."

Toriel jumped up from her seat and pulled Rusty into a tight embrace. "You and Amy are my children. Don't you understand? As long as you are in the Underground, we will take care of you to the best of our ability. After all," Toriel released Rusty and smiled cheerfully, "if we were mean to you, you could just kill one of us and take our souls to cross the barrier."

"You have a very morbid mind," Rusty snickered, but then perked up. "Wait, did you say I could cross the barrier if I had a monsters soul in addition to my own?"

Toriel nodded, looking worried. "May I ask why this is so important to you?"

Rusty, seeing Toriel's obvious discomfort, clarified. "I'm saying that when a new human falls into the Underground, it should be Chara, Amy, or me who greets them. We can't run the risk of them trying to attack one of you guys so they can leave."

"Why are you so wary of the other humans all of a sudden?" Toriel asked.

Rusty's face darkened. "Because, if I recall correctly, monsters aren't very well-liked by humans."

"You ready?" the man asked his wife, who nodded. They both gazed down the hole rumored to be the entrance to the Underground.

"Those monsters will pay for taking our son away," the wife growled.

"Rusty," the husband muttered, "we're coming to save you. Just hang on a little longer…"

 **What? Did you really expect me to introduce another fallen child every chapter? Do you know how quickly this would be finished? Nah, I'll introduce them a little at a time. But, to keep you guys interested, I've added a countdown before every chapter, marking how long it will be until the next fallen child appears. As for which soul is going to be the next to appear, I haven't the faintest idea. Secondly, for those of you who are reading Overtale, don't worry, I am going to continue updating that story as well, just not quite as regularly. More along the lines of once a week. And lastly, and most importantly, thank you all for being so kind in the comments. The reason I'm adding in a Rusty plot arc is because most people seemed to like him more than Amy. That's not to say Amy won't get any development, but I'm just giving the people what they want. That, and the fact that Rusty is really, really fun to write for.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Notice: References to past abuse and neglect. If these issues hit home, please feel free to contact me. I'm always willing to talk. I can't promise I'll be of much help, but I can assure you that it will get better.**

 **-3 chapters remain-**

-Birthday Bashers-

"S-seriously, Tori, you don't have to do this," Rusty said as the monster virtually carried him down the hall.

"Nonsense," Toriel said cheerfully. "You deserve to have an actual birthday party. Sixteen is a very important age, you know!"

Rusty blushed, but didn't argue any more. When Toriel opened the door, though, he almost fainted then and there. She must have invited every monster he had ever been in contact with. There were fellow knights who had passed with Amy and him during the exams, as well as hopefuls who would have to try again next year. Shopkeepers he had only talked to once, and students that were in his class whose names he didn't even know. Seeing Rusty's face, Toriel frowned a little.

"What's the matter? Are there too many people?"

Rusty didn't respond. The hug he pulled his adoptive mother into was answer enough.

* * *

Meanwhile, his real mother was rappelling her way down the entrance to the Underground, along with the boy's father.

"Charlotte, are you sure this was the best way to go about this? With our combined SOULs, we could have just passed through the barrier with no problem, grabbed our son, and left."

"Quiet, you," the woman known as Charlotte growled. "Or shall I remind you why our son is down here in the first place?"

The man's face fell, and he felt tears stinging at his eyes. She was right, of course. All of this had been his fault…

-4 months ago-

The boy known as Thomas was trying his best to calm down the sobbing girl.

"Please, Alice, stop crying. Mom will just get angry again," the boy whispered, softly rocking the girl in his lap. "It's okay now. She can't get you here. She can't hurt you here. Shh, it's okay. I'm here now."

The front door to their trailer home slammed open. "Rusty, goddammit!" their mother's voice rang out through the entrance. She sounded drunk. Again.

"Where're you at, boy?!"

Thomas took a deep breath and covered his sister's mouth with a damp cloth. The girl's eyes widened for a brief moment, filled with betrayal, before closing as the chemicals in the cloth set in. Her breathing slowed, and soon she was fast asleep in his lap. A pang of guilt ran though him for having to drug his sister, but he knew the outcome would be much worse if their mother caught her crying again. His black eye showed exactly how nasty she could get.

"I know you're in here with that whiny bitch," their mother roared. "Come out, or I'll come find you."

Thomas steeled himself before sheepishly opening the cupboard door and crawling out, making sure his mother didn't notice Alice, who slept on in the small space.

"Y-you called, ma'am?" Thomas asked quietly.

"You're goddamn right I did! Where's that brat you call a sister?"

"S-she's taking a nap," Rusty choked out, privately hating himself for what he had done.

"She's taking a nap, what?" her mother said, her eyes narrowing.

"She's taking a nap, ma'am."

"That's more like it. It's about time you started learning some damn respect," she growled, smelling heavily of tobacco.

"Y-yes ma'am," Rusty said, feeling a wave of sleepiness run through him. _Dammit, not now! If I can just hold out until she leaves…_

"You wanna explain this?" Thomas's mother asked, shoving a piece of paper under his nose.

 **Thomas's behavior has been improving immensely since we last talked, Mrs. Hughes. However, I would like for you to come in sometime, preferably soon, so we can talk about some possible factors that are affecting Thomas, such as his home life, his relationship with his sister, and his social life.**

Thomas felt himself go pale. He had recently tried to pass of his black eye as just a trip down the stairs, but his teachers had seen through the lie immediately. He then had to tearfully explain to them that his mother had just gotten a bit overexcited last time she went out and drank, and that this was a one-time thing, and that she had apologized immediately after.

The best liars tell part of the truth.

"Wanna tell me why your teacher wants to talk about your home life?" Thomas's mother growled. "Or don't I want to know the answer?"

Thomas gulped, feeling a cold sweat break out all over his body. He would have to tread carefully these next few sentences.

"Well ma'am, I was talking to my math teacher, Mr. Cooper? Anyways, he noticed my shiner, and was immediately interested in knowing how I got it," Thomas started, his drowsiness mercifully passing for the time being.

"Go on," mother snarled.

"I-I told them I had just fallen down the stairs at home. H-he knew right away that I was lying. So I told him…" Rusty felt the tears leave his eyes, causing two streaks to run through the grime on his face.

"You told him…?" his mother asked, cracking her knuckles.

"I-I t-told him that…you had gotten a bit d-drunk the night before," his mother's eyes narrowed, "and that you had accidentally hit me in the face when I was taking you to bed."

His mother flared. "You told your teachers I got drunk and hit you?!"

"I-I told them it was an accident," Thomas started, before feeling a harsh sting on his cheek. He really wished his mother would take of her ring when she did that.

"You ungrateful little bastard. You should consider yourself lucky I let you even live under this roof!"

Any further assaults were stopped by the sound of the front door opening gingerly.

"H-honey? I'm home," Thomas's father meekly peeked his head through the doorframe. "I-is everything alright? I heard yelling…"

"It's nothing dear, I assure you," the mother said sweetly. "I was just teaching little Thomas here a lesson in how to treat his superiors."

"Oh, if that's all," the father trailed off, seeing Thomas's eyes widen.

"S-superiors?" Thomas roared. "Y-you think you're above me?! And you," the boy turned to face his father. "You've known this whole time, but you never tried to stop her?! What kind of spineless man can't even protect his own kid?!" Thomas cried, tears running freely down his face.

"S-son, it's not like-" the father started, but the boy's mother held up her hand.

"No, hold on, James. I want to hear more about what we are."

"Y-you're just a bunch of the sickest, lowliest scum to walk the face of this planet!" Thomas cried. "Y-you think that just because I'm your kid, you can just treat me like shit!"

"That's not true-," the father started again, but stopped when Thomas virtually flew out the door around him. "D-damn it! Son, come back! Rusty!"

 _Alice…I'm so sorry, but I have to do this. There's supposedly a place where they can't reach us. I'll go on ahead. If it's all everyone says it is…Alice, you don't need to be scared any more._

-Present Day-

"You couldn't have just stopped him, could you, you spineless wimp?" Charlotte sneered. "No, you had to let him run away like a little bitch. At least we know what parent he gets that from."

James chose not the speak until the two of them reached the bed of flowers at the base of the opening. "Looks like we're here. Rusty, please still be okay…"

"Hey there, strangers," a female voice sounded off to their right. The turned and a saw a little girl, with hair long enough it obscured her eyes. "I don't think I've seen you before. Although, you do look familiar…" the girl trailed off. "Anyways, we should probably take you to see the king and queen."

Charlotte pulled out a pistol and aimed it at the girl's chest. "Listen, monster, I don't know what you're playing at, but take us to see our son," she growled.

Chara bowed low. "Very well, madam. May I ask who your son is?"

"T-Thomas," the father choked out. "He also goes by Rusty."

Chara's eyes widened in surprise, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, I know Rusty very well. In fact, the monster's are celebrating his birthday right now. I'll take you to see him."

James smiled and started following the girl, while Charlotte stayed in the bed of flowers.

"You really think we're just going to readily follow you? You're just going to lead us into a trap, I know it. And they couldn't possibly be celebrating his birthday, it's not for months!"

"A-actually dear?" James clarified meekly. "It's Alice's birthday that isn't for a while. Thomas's birthday was really three days ago."

Charlotte huffed, but started following nonetheless, keeping her pistol at her side. She never knew when she might need it.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Chara?" Toriel asked. "She should be here celebrating with us."

"It was her shift to watch the entrance," Amy slurred, topping off her glass with another amber beverage. She had been very pleased to discover the legal drinking age of the Underground was eighteen. Though, not nearly as much as Rusty, who found that there was no age restriction on mixing drinks.

"Well, that's a relief," Toriel sighed as Amy downed her glass in a single gulp. The human's eyes widened, then narrowed lazily.

"I-I don't feel so good," Amy stumbled, before falling facefirst into the ground.

"Party hard, bitch," Rusty raised his own glass before taking a sip.

The entire ballroom of the castle was alive with chatter, people walking up to Rusty and congratulating him on making it 365 days without dying.

"You act as though this is your first party," Asgore walked up, his own cheeks flushed pink from the alcohol. "Surely your real family must've held one for you before?"

"Sorry, Asgore, but I really don't remember. Memory loss can be a bitch, you know?"

"Watch your language," Toriel pleaded, knowing it was no use. Rusty's profanity was unmatched by everyone, other than another knight in his class. "You're turning into Undyne."

"Let's not go that far," Asgore chuckled. "After all, Undyne would beat the crap out of anyone who looked at her funny. Rusty, meanwhile, takes a little more provocation to even attempt to fight someone! Although, Rusty fights with much more murderous intent."

"Gee, thanks," Rusty deadpanned.

"I wonder what the problem is," Toriel stated, hearing a wave of silence wash over the ballroom as the doors opened. The problem came in the form of Chara, with two adult behind her.

"The husband looks just like…"

"Except for the eyes…"

"He has her eyes…"

The three came to a stop directly in front of Rusty.

"S-son?" the man stumbled out, tears once again stinging at his eyes. "Is that you?"

Rusty's eyes widened. "S-son? Are you sure you have the right kid?"

"What're you talking about?" Charlotte reached out and grabbed her son's wrist. "It's us, your mom and dad."

"Y-you…" Rusty clutched his head in pain. "Damn it…I'm so close to putting it back together…"

"Quit messing around, and let's get out of here," Charlotte commanded. "You shouldn't have to muck about with their type," she gave a curt nod to Toriel and Asgore.

"Our type?" Toriel thundered, but Asgore stepped between the two mothers.

"Now, now, I'm sure we can figure something out. Rusty has amnesia, you see," Asgore started, but Charlotte cut him short.

"I'm sure there are some idiots who would buy into that story, but I'm no idiot. I know your type. You've obviously brainwashed my child!"

Rusty muttered something nobody could make out.

"What was that, Rusty?" James asked hopefully.

"I said," Rusty muttered, louder this time, "where's Alice?"

"Who? Oh, yes, that sister of yours. Don't worry, she's waiting patiently at home for your return," Charlotte chided, her eyes staring bullets into her son. "We shouldn't keep her waiting any longer. Let's go, Thomas."

"Who's looking after her?" Rusty commanded.

"Oh, she's doing just fine with that neighbor girl," Charlotte made up the story on the spot, taking advantage of Rusty's amnesia.

"That's a lie. We don't have any neighbors. You scared them all away with your screaming and ranting about gay people," Rusty growled, and everyone around him took a few steps back. His very essence seemed to bleed out hatred.

"W-well, she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She's what, thirteen now?" Charlotte swore silently.

"You left a ten year old girl on her own, while you went on a wild goose chase to find your runaway son?" Rusty's eyes were empty, staring off into space.

"Is she really only ten?" Charlotte asked James, who nodded sheepishly. "Well, it doesn't matter. I left her with enough food to keep her happy for months."

"Another lie. Alice can't even boil water. She can't cook for herself." Rusty's eyes bore into his parents. "Where. Is. My. Sister?"

James swallowed audibly. "S-she ran off a few days after you did. She wanted to find you."

"Why didn't you just look for her, then? Isn't a little girl more important than a teenager who's able to take care of himself?"

"You can't take care of yourself, and you know it. Look now! There are monsters all around you who are forced to take care of you. How will they react when they find out who you really are?"

"They know, because they've seen it first hand," Rusty burst out. "I've already shown it firsthand to a few monsters who attacked me."

The crowd started getting riled up.

"What does he mean?"

"Monsters attacked him?

Rusty took a deep breath, and cleared his throat. "Creatures of the Underground, you've shown me such kindness, which I have returned with lies. A few days after entering this land, I was surrounded by a group of monsters who tried to attack Asriel and me at Waterfall. What their motivation was, I can't say. But I can say, truthfully, that this next part happened." Rusty took another breath, and announced to the entire ballroom:

"I killed five monsters, even after they surrendered."

The ballroom fell silent, and even Charlotte looked impressed.

"Killing monsters now, huh boy? I have to say, I thought putting that boy into a coma would have stopped your fighting, but you clearly don't know when to stop."

"You've done something like this before?" Toriel asked, looking betrayed.

"On the surface, there was a group of kids who were bullying my sister. One of them even threw a rock at her. I hit him so hard he fell into a coma. He didn't wake up for over a month."

"That's right, you did," Charlotte said, looking satisfied. "And you don't deserve this kind of kindness." She took Rusty's hand and began dragging him from the room. She was stopped as the monsters formed a wall in front of the door.

"Maybe he's done some bad thing," one monsters called, "but he was just protecting others! If it weren't for him, we would have lost Prince Asriel!"

"Yeah, he's messed up pretty bad, but who're you to pass down judgment? We'll be the judges of those monster's lives."

"I mean, nobody's perfect. Killing monsters? Yeah, that's not good. But I'd heard rumors about those guys. He was doing us a favor."

Charlotte growled and turned on her son. "They're just as heartless as you are!"

Rusty, however, was busy wiping tears from his eyes. "Everyone…thank you…"

There was a sharp crack as Rusty was sent sprawling, a red mark on his cheek. He really wished she would take off her ring when she did that.

The room fell silent once more, until Toriel ran forwards to help Rusty up.

"My child, are you alright?"

"YOUR child?" Charlotte laughed. "Oh, that is rich. A human like that being a child to such monsters?"

"I could say the same about you," Toriel huffed, wiping of Rusty. "Now I must ask you to leave the Underground."

"Let's not be hasty, Mom," Chara chimed in, thoroughly enjoying herself. "I mean, we could just take their SOULs here and now, so we'll only need two more."

"Chara, that's morbid," Asriel whined.

"Just a suggestion. But, if Mom wants them gone, I'm all for sending them headfirst into the barrier. It should be good for a laugh."

"You really are monsters," Charlotte exclaimed, disgusted.

"Takes one to know one, bitch," Rusty flared. "Now leave the Underground, before I show you everything Toriel has taught me about magic."

"Please, son," James finally spoke up. "At least let us stay the night. We've traveled a very long way, you see."

Toriel cut off Rusty before he could fling profanities at his father. "We would be delighted to let you stay. You, though," she glared at Charlotte, "are not going anywhere near Rusty. And first thing tomorrow, you're leaving."

"'Rusty?' His name is-"

"His name is Rusty," Asgore affirmed.

"We thank you for your kindness, King and Queen," James bowed low, and Charlotte gave what almost counted as a curtsey.

* * *

"Rusty!" Amy cried as she burst into his room the next morning. "We have a situation!"

"Whatever it is, it can wait," Rusty yawned, still not over the events of yesterday.

"You parents have Asriel, and they won't give him back until you agree to go with them!"

Rusty didn't react immediately. Instead, he slowly stood up, put on his bandana to keep himself awake, and calmly walked out the room.

"Wow, he took that surprisingly-."

"MOTHERFUCKING PIECE OF SHIT DIRTBAG WHORE SLUT ASSHOLE!"

"Nevermind," Amy smiled a little, before running out behind Rusty.

 **DRAMA! ACTION! TERRIBLE WRITING! TUNE IN NEXT TIME WHEN OUR HEROES ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE WITH THEIR LIVES!**

 **Also, for those of you interested, I have a poll going on my account on which of the 4 remaining souls you want to see next. TAKE THIS STORY INTO YOUR OWN HANDS!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, folks, we're into the home stretch! Only 2 chapters remain to vote for the next human, so cast your ballot and decide one who will be met next:**

 **The pervert**

 **The smut writer**

 **The smartass**

 **or The cosplayer**

 **I'll let you figure out who's who.**

 **-2 chapters remain-**

-Judgement-

"So, when you killed those monsters, how did it feel?" Undyne asked as they made their way to entrance to the Underground, per the Hostage Notice.

"I'd really just as well not talk about it," Rusty replied awkwardly.

"Well, I get that it probably felt weird, but anything else?" the monster and fellow knight asked.

Rusty was saved any further awkwardness by Asgore, who was leading the charge.

"Undyne, please just drop the subject. Rusty's obviously in no condition to talk about it. I know Tori and I were having issues with this whole situation. In fact, a certain delicate flower cried their eyes out when they heard the news!"

"Yeah," Toriel said from the back. "And I was pretty upset, too."

Asgore blushed furiously. "W-what are you implying, Tori?"

Toriel scowled. "I'm just saying, who was it who was supposed to check up on our children last night?"

"I-I thought you were talking about Rusty, what with his parents being around and all!"

"Those two really need to see a councilor," a knight from Rusty's right chuckled. The human turned and found himself face to face with a short skeleton who was wearing, instead of the regulation armor, a blue hoodie. "I don't think we're been formally introduced yet?"

Rusty shook his head, eager for a distraction from the bickering royalty. "Nah, I don't think so. I'm-."

"I know who you are," the skeleton closed his sockets. "You're Thomas Hughes, holder of the green soul of KINDNESS."

"E-excuse me?" Rusty asked as Asgore flung a particularly nasty set of names at Toriel.

"Ah, nevermind. It doesn't concern you. By the way, I'm Sans."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Sans," Rusty grinned as Toriel flung several fireballs at her husband.

"Likewise," the skeleton smiled a little, opening one eye. "By the way, there's something I need to talk to you about later. You know the hallway that leads to the throne room? I'd like to meet up with you and the other one, Amy, sometime soon. If today goes like it did last time, you could really use it."

"Last time?" Rusty asked as Asgore hurled his trident towards Toriel, his own beard on fire.

"Ah, sorry about that. It's nothing important."

"Hey Rusty," Amy called, making her way towards Rusty, narrowly avoiding a fireball that one of the royals had sent flying, "it's nice to see a friendly face."

"You're telling me. Oh, by the way, there's someone I'd like you to," he turned to introduce Sans, but the skeleton had already vanished.

* * *

"We've arrived at our destination," Asgore said a few hours later, stopping the knights short. "Rusty, do you remember the plan?"

The boy nodded, his nerves acting up. He knew the plan alright. He just didn't care much for the plan.

"Excellent. Now, don't be nervous. Remember, Amy will be with you if you have any problems. The rest of you, spread out and secure the area next to the designated point. If things turn nasty, I don't want any civilians getting injured."

All but one of the knights nodded.

"Wait, we aren't actually going to be fighting?" Undyne cried, much to the apparent amusement of the king.

"No, Undyne, this battle is reserved for Rusty and his parents. And Rusty," Asgore's face darkened as he turned to face his adopted son, "I hardly think I need to remind you that you cannot allow Asriel to be injured. Please, be careful."

"Don't worry, Asgore," Rusty's face was filled with DETERMINATION. "I won't let you down. Come on, Amy. It's time I had a long overdue heart to heart with my mother."

* * *

James anxiously glanced at his watch. "I-it's almost time," he muttered, glancing at his wife. "I-is it possible they aren't coming?"

"Of course not, you dolt," Charlotte growled. "Rusty always did act like a hero when kids were involved. And with this brat," she gestured to Asriel, who was crying quietly in the corner, "he's bound to show up eventually."

"You caught me," a voice called from the shadows, and out stepped Rusty and Amy, both wearing the uniform of the Royal Guard: a long jacket over plate armor over dull brown trousers. These jackets varied among members, as a way to identify the fallen. It was, after all, pretty difficult to tell dust piles apart.

"Thomas, sweety," Charlotte smiled innocently, in a tone that clearly stated that Rusty was in some deep shit. "Why don't you put down that ugly sword of yours and we can talk this out."

"I'll sheathe my sword when you holster your pistol," Rusty's eyes narrowed. Charlotte look noticeably uncomfortable, but did as was requested of her.

"There we go," James soothed. "Now let's try to work this-" James was silenced as a knife whizzed past his ear.

"You can shut the hell up," Amy said sweetly, twirling another knife between her hands. James, wisely, decided to shut the hell up.

"Thomas, please come home," Charlotte's voice was like silk. "We miss you."

"Wow, that's almost maxing out my bullshit-o-meter. What's really going on?" Amy smiled.

"No, really, we're really starting to notice what it's like without you," James broke his silence, and another knife whizzed past his ear, closer this time. Once again, he shut the hell up.

"Notice what it's like?" Rusty snickered. "Oh, come on, you guys have the attention span of a squirrel on crystal meth. You wouldn't even notice if, say, a monster snuck up behind you attempting to knock you out!"

"What're you talking about?" she asked, as a monster snuck up behind her attempting to knock her out. James, noticing this, made to warn her, but saw Amy shake her head slowly, and decided to stay shut the hell up.

Instead, he watched (with no small amount of pleasure, mind you,) as Asgore dropped a dangerously large rock on his wife's head. Charlotte tensed up, the fell to the ground with a rather satisfying _thump_.

Remembering James, Asgore picked up the rock and made his advance on the husband, who held up a hand.

"I'll do it myself," he murmered, picking up a rock in his hand and hitting himself over the head with it. Like his wife, he tottered for a second before falling to the ground.

* * *

"So, uh, how do I do this?" Asgore asked later, standing next to the barrier while holding Charlotte and James's limp bodies.

"I don't know, just…just shove 'em through?" Rusty suggested.

Asgore shrugged and did as he was told, pushing the two humans through the barrier and into the outside world. He clapped his hands together. "Whelp, that's done for. Now we can go back to our daily lives?"

"What happens if they try to come back?" Amy observed, and Undyne grinned wickedly.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. I had a…friend…of mine rig up a trap that'll get anyone who falls down that hole!"

"What about any kids who fall down here?" Rusty asked. Undyne's expression fell blank. She pulled a cell phone from her pocked and dialed.

"Hello, Alphys? Yeah, we fucked up real bad this time. Oh, you have no idea. Yeah, I'll meet you at the entrance."

She hung up and left without another word.

"I should probably go check on that," Toriel muttered. "Come on, Chara, we have to go make sure two idiots don't hurt themselves."

"But it's not my fault they're stupid," Chara whined.

"No, my child. It's nobody's fault," the queen sighed, taking her daughter's hand and escorting her out of the room.

"Well, I suppose I should be on my way. Want to come visit Asriel?" Asgore asked, but Rusty shook his head.

"Nah, Amy and I have a meeting we need to get to."

Amy looked just as confused as Asgore, but said nothing as the king shrugged and walked out to check up on his son.

"We have a meeting?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, sorry I couldn't tell you earlier. One of the other knights, Sans, wanted to meet up with me in the hallway outside the throne room."

Amy's look of confusion grew. "A knight named Sans? Listen, Rusty, I don't know what you're on, but I do know I want some of it. I've memorized the list of Royal Knights bottom to top, but there's no Sans in there."

"I keep telling you, I'm not on any drugs, but I promise I would share them if I was," Rusty said for what seemed like the millionth time as they left the throne room and entered the hallway to New Home.

"Sure you're not," Amy teased. "And I'm sure you would share them."

"Am I interrupting something?" a voice shook both of the humans from their banter. Sans was standing in the middle of the room, but Amy could've sworn they were alone when they entered the hall. "I could come back later."

"Who're you?" Amy asked, a knife flying into her hand.

"Amy, before you get all stabbey, this is Sans," Rusty said, jumping between Amy and the monster.

"Heh, you're trying to prevent violence? Not bad for someone who's LV is 3."

"'LV?'" Rusty recited. "Never heard of it."

"It's an acronym. It stands for LOVE."

"Well, that's not as bad as I thought it would be," Amy sighed.

"Which, in turn, stands for Level Of ViolencE."

"God damn it."

"Really, though, LV 3 isn't all that bad. And the girl is still only LV 1. Overall, you're still pretty good people. But, I can't have you remembering this, can I?" his eye shone a deep blue. "No, I don't think you'll even remember who I am."

Rusty and Amy suddenly felt very drowsy. Rusty fell into his adoptive sister's arms.

"Hey, Amy, I have one last request before I black out," he muttered.

"I'm not givin' you a reach around," were her last words before she herself blacked out.

Seeing Amy passed out, Rusty just had time to let out a single "oh, shit," before he, too, succumbed to the darkness.

When they woke up, they were alone.

"How'd we get here?" Rusty muttered groggily. "Did my amnesia kick in?"

"You mean your narcolepsy?" Amy slurred, still half asleep herself.

"Meh, same difference."

* * *

"Your magic can work with people's minds, right?" Rusty asked Toriel later that night.

"Of course, my child, but why so interested?"

Rusty waited a long time before giving his answer. "I want you to make me forget about my sister, Alice."

Toriel didn't respond right away. Instead, she thought about it. "It would be difficult, my child. I wouldn't be able to make specifically her vanish. Instead, every memory you have of her will become a blank slate. You brain will eventually fill in these empty spots, but it would take a while. May I ask why you wish to forget your sister?"

"I'm not asking you to permanently remove her, just to block her out until I can get out of here. Ever since my memories came back, she's all I can think about, and it's really starting to bum me out that there's nothing I can do to help her."

"You truly do care about her, don't you?" Toriel asked, her voice soft.

Rusty nodded. "I think that's why I like Asriel so much. They're so similar, in a way. They're both some of the kindest and most sensitive people I've ever met. But, as long as I'm down here, I can't have her distracting me from taking care of Asriel. So, if you want to go through with that memory wipe now, it would be very much obliged."

Toriel thought some more, then nodded. "Alright, I'll do it. But, be warned, the memories that replace her will be completely randomized. Even I have no control over what will happen."

Rusty nodded. "I'm prepared for anything."

* * *

"So, you're telling me you had a sister, but she was decapitated by a low-flying plane when she was ten?" Amy asked incredulously.

Rusty nodded. "Yeah, it was a huge bloodbath. I never got to meet her, I was born a day after it happened. My parents never got over it, so they always acted like I had a younger sister to try and cope with the loss."

Amy gave Toriel an impressed look. "Not bad. Do you do birthday parties?"

 **Next chapter is just going to be pointless fluff. As for what it's going to be about, I have no idea. Why don't you guys comment some things you want to see? It could be anything from a simple conversation to a full-on hardcore makeout session, but I'll leave it up to you guys to say what you want to read. This next chapter is almost entirely fanservice (not that kind...)**

 **Lastly, remember to place your vote on which of the 4 remaining children is going to make their appearance next! After the next chapter is poster, the poll will close so I can start on the next plot arc, so this will be your last chance!**


	6. Chapter 6

**The results are in, and here come the next humans, with some info on them:**

 **The Orange Soul, Jared (The Pervert/Has a Daddy Kink)**

 **The Yellow Soul, Cassidy (The Cosplayer/Born-Again Christian)**

 **The Purple Soul, Diana (The Smut Writer/Has a Thing For Rusty)**

 **The Blue Soul, Alice (The Cinnamon Bun/Has No Faults)**

 **-1 chapter remains-**

-Nightmare-

Amy sat patiently by the pillar, waiting for Toriel's return.

"I'll be right back, my child, I just need to prepare a few things for your arrival," the monster had said a few minutes before.

So, Amy did as she was told, and waited. Toriel had seemed rather flustered with this intrusion, if her look of shock had been any indicator. Amy silently agreed to ask her about it later. For now, though, she would just enjoy the change in scenery. The big city was nice, of course, but if was always so noisy. Down here, though, things seemed different. And, if anything tried to attack her, Toriel would save her, of course!

So, she waited. She waited for what seemed like hours alone in the strange room. All this waiting gave her time to reflect on some rather good questions, such as: _If I'm Underground, how can I see everything?_ and _What was up with that weird frog from earlier. Toriel chased it away before I could get a good look._

Her last thought, though, was _When did I get surrounded?_ before she was attacked. The last thing she saw before the darkness overtook all was Toriel virtually flying to her aid, before the monsters ripped her SOUL out and her vision went dark.

Amy woke up from the nightmare in a cold sweat.

* * *

Rusty strutted confidently through the Hotlands. Things had been looking up for him. He had calmly explained things to Toriel, managed to get past those two skeleton guards (and even went on a surprisingly pleasant date with one of them) and had even escaped the clutches of that Royal Guardswoman. Though, he did feel a little bad for leaving her to fry in the heat, so he had tried his best to revive her with the water cooler placed so conveniently nearby.

He kind of wished he hadn't followed her home and gone on that really weird date with her…

But, that didn't matter now. He had an upgraded cell phone in his pocket, the support of a brilliant scientist, and countless monsters who actually liked him. Things were looking up.

Things went downhill, though, when he heard a cry for help from a few feet away. A bit of searching led him to a very dangerous looking ledge where a monster was barely holding on. Not wanting to waste an opportunity to make a new friend, Rusty rushed over and pulled the monster up effortlessly.

It was rather strange looking, even for a monster. It looked like a chimera, with the body of a horse and the head of a lion. The being flashed Rusty a wicked grin before running off.

"H-hey, wait! I just want to talk," Rusty started, when he felt the ground crumble beneath him. His eyes widened as he realized he had been tricked. The ledge completely gave out, and Rusty was sent plummeting towards the magma below.

Mercifully, he only felt the excruciating pain for a second.

Rusty woke up from the nightmare with tears in his eyes.

Outside the humans' shared room, a skeleton sighed with disappointment.

"Let's hope that helps them remember," he muttered, the blue glow in his eye fading out.

* * *

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Rusty smiled weakly as he approached Amy. The girl didn't even turn to look at him.

"I could say the same about you," was her reply.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm betting you had that weird nightmare last night, too?" Rusty asked. Amy nodded solemnly.

"Could it even be called a dream? It felt so…"

"Real?" Rusty offered. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I could feel my hand grab that monster and pull it up. I could feel the ground shake beneath me. I could feel…" the boy trailed off as Amy lowered herself to sit against the wall next to him.

"I could feel those monsters hurting me…" Amy's breath got weird for a moment, and Rusty turned just in time to see her wipe her eyes. "Rusty…I'm scared…what does this mean?"

Rusty shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe we could ask Asgore?"

"Are you kidding?" Amy let out what almost sounded like a laugh. "He'd just start bawling his eyes out and pull us into a lung-crushing hug. The same goes for Mom," Amy sighed.

"Well…if there's anything I can do to help you, I'd be happy to do so," Rusty offered. The humans fell silent for a moment, before Rusty felt a small weight on his hand. He glanced down and blushed furiously as he saw the college student place her hand on his and hold it tight.

"Don't worry, Rusty," Amy whispered, leaning over to place her head on his shoulder. "You're doing just fine."

Rusty's blush deepened, and he tried to nonchalantly cross his legs, silently cursing himself. _Boner, you've gone way too far this time._

* * *

Jared flew up the mountain as fast as his legs could carry him. _Please don't still be after me, please don't still be after me…_

"JARED!" a female voice roared from behind him.

 _Shit._

"I know you're up here, I just want to talk," the voice calmed down a little, but Jared didn't but into it. This particular ho was very resilient.

"Like I'm going to listen to you!" Jared called back, realizing too late he had just given away his location.

"There you are, you little brat," the woman who called herself Cinnamon growled, strutting towards her prey. Considering how high her heels were, this was quite an accomplishment. "Thought you could get away with using a fake ID, did you?"

"Well, in fairness, it did work," Jared challenged.

"Listen, if it ever gets out I slept with an underage, I'll be ruined. So, let's have a little chat, shall we?" Cinnamon's eyes narrowed.

"I-I'm all for forgetting about this particular encounter, Holly," Jared held his hands up in defense.

"Cinnamon," the woman corrected.

"Sorry, Holly was last week," Jared corrected himself.

Cinnamon's eyes flared. "You're the one who Hols was talkin' 'bout? Oh, we about to have some real issues."

"Listen, I turn eighteen in less than a month, can I talk to you again then?" Jared gave it his last show, slowly backing up.

"Not happenin', honey. Now, I think it's about time we settled this," she said, pulling a switchblade out from between her breasts.

"You didn't tell me you had a knife," Jared tried to distract; "you could've cut through those ropes at any time!"

"Why does that matter now? Besides, you had ample time to explore me," Cinnamon scolded.

"It's not my fault I'm not a boob guy," Jared stumbled back again, directly into the entrance of the Underground. His last thoughts before the ground knocked him unconscious was:

 _How ironic. My previous hole chased me into an even bigger hole. Hard to believe this is even bigger than she was, considering how big her pus-_

THUD.

 **Please don't think I condone Jared's actions. He's only going to get worse from here...**


	7. Chapter 7

-The Fourth Human-

Rusty yawned widely, barely cracking his eyes open.

 _Must've fallen asleep…_

He was in the living room of New Home, and was less than surprised to find Asriel curled up against his side, snoring softly. He couldn't help but laugh. Only a week ago, his parents had come down here looking for him, because…what was the because? Rusty couldn't quite remember, no matter how he tried. But, in the end, he didn't really care. They were gone now, and he could just relax until the other humans arrived. He would deal with his parents when the need arose.

Asgore and Toriel had taken Chara on a trip to Waterfall so she could meet everybody's favorite celebrity face-to-face, and it was Amy's turn to check the entrance for any new SOULs, so Rusty was left alone to babysit. Which, in his case, meant eating cookies and taking naps. Rusty prided himself on being a great babysitter.

Asriel muttered something in his sleep, and cuddled closer into the human teen. Rusty readjusted himself, ever so slightly, so Asriel was now snoozing peacefully on his lap. _Not a bad idea, kid,_ Rusty thought to himself, feeling his eyes closing. _I may just do the same thing…_. And lo, the entire house was peaceful.

For all of two seconds, that is.

"RUSTY HOLY FUCK!" Amy screeched as she literally kicked the door off its hinges, wiped everything from the coffee table onto the floor, and threw the human she had over her shoulder onto the newly opened space.

"Amy, chill out," Rusty soothed, trying to calm down both the human and the monster, who was currently quivering behind him. "Asriel, don't worry, it's just Amy being Amy."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Amy's eyes narrowed.

"Absolutely nothing. Hey look, a new kid," Rusty changed the subject to the boy who was currently lying limp on the table in front of him.

"What should we do with him?" Asriel asked.

Luckily, they were spared this answer as one of the boys eyes cracked open. He muttered something softly.

"What was that?" Amy asked sweetly.

"Nice…tits…" he flashed her a thumbs up, then passed out again.

Amy didn't move for a long time after that. Rusty, meanwhile, was trying to awkwardly explain to Asriel what 'tits' were. When she did speak, Amy was monotonous.

"Did he just say what I think he just said?"

Rusty nodded solemnly, glancing down at the new boy. Even though he hadn't even known him for ten minutes, he felt sorry for him. The wrath that was Amy was about to descend upon him.

Amy's hands shot out and wrapped around the new boy's neck.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST COME DOWN HERE AND FONDLE ME I THINK NOT YOU LITTLE BRAT IT IS MURDER TIME IN THE DREEMURR HOUSEHOLD!" she shrieked, while Rusty tried pulling her off and was explaining that he technically hadn't fondled her. The strangling stopped momentarily when the boy's eyes opened again.

"Choke me Daddy," he wheezed, and Amy instantly recoiled.

"I think I like this kid," Rusty smirked as Amy ran from the room.

* * *

The Royal Family was greatly divided by the new addition. On one hand, the females were kind of scared of him. On the other hand, so were the guys. Really, everyone was at the very least ill at ease around Jared. He didn't give off enough of his personality for anyone to get a good reading on him, as he had barely spoken since flirting with Amy.

That changed, however, about a week after he appeared.

"Rusty," Asriel's voice rang out through the castle, and the human appeared by his side at the front lawn. One look instantly told Rusty this was serious.

"Hey, kiddo, what's wrong?" he asked, then noticed Asriel's neck. "Hey, where's your locket? You know, the one shaped like a heart?"

Asriel sniffled and pointed to a hole in the ground, where Rusty could see a faint glimmer.

"Oh, this isn't good. Let me guess, it's too far down for you to reach?" Rusty guessed, and Asriel nodded, visibly shaking. "Hey, don't worry kid. I'll just go get Chara and have her use her magic to get it out."

"N-no, don't do that," Asriel wailed. "She'll get angry if she found out I lost my locket. She's the one who got it for me."

Rusty held up his hands calmingly.

"Alright, what about Amy? No, wait, she's out with Tori and Asgore for training. Hmm." Rusty glanced down at the hole again, and made a decision that sealed his fate:

"Well, I should be able to reach it."

Rusty kneeled down and reached into the hole. "I think I've just about…uh…hold up…"

There was a loud rumbling, and the ground under Rusty gave way. Well, sort of. It collapsed in just such a way that Rusty toppled over, so everything from his shoulders up and both his arms were submerged in the ground. It was a once in a lifetime event, and Rusty was not in the least bit pleased by it.

"Wll ths s bulfht!" Came his muffled cry. "Hy Asrl, o gt sm hl!"

"W-what?" Asriel asked, having trouble understanding his brother through the layer of dirt.

"He said to go get help," Jared wandered up behind Asriel, looking down at Rusty. Rusty, who Jared had taken an interest in since he first saw him. Rusty, whose butt was now hanging up, ripe for the taking…

Jared shook his head, clearing the perverted thoughts. If he was going to woo Rusty, he would do it on his own terms. And his terms were morally against non-consent.

"I'm the only person left who could even remotely help you guys. So, want to tell me what's going on?" Jared asked, and Asriel quickly filled him in on the details.

"So, Chara can't know, huh?" Jared crossed his arms, deep in thought. "I suppose I could try pulling him out. That could work."

"Thnk y Enstn!" Rusty's muffled voice cried out. "Hry t p, I cn brth!"

"If you can speak, you can breathe," Jared snickered, walking up behind Rusty. He thought about it for a second, then grabbed Rusty on either side of his waist.

"Wht'r yu doig?" Rusty's voice grew confused.

"I'm going to try and pull you out is what I'm doing," Jared said, and began pulling with all his might. "Damn, can't get a a good grip," he muttered, spreading his feet to get better traction.

"Cld yu b a ltl gntlr?" Rusty asked.

"Not if you want me to get you out," Jared argued, but complied as best he could, using short but powerful tugs instead of one long pull.

So, to recap:

Rusty's butt was hanging in the air.

Jared was standing behind him with his legs spread.

Jared was also using short tugs and grunting loudly as he tried to free Rusty.

All of this was happening in front of a very concerned looking Asriel.

You can imagine Toriel's surprise, then, when she walked in on this scene.

"Boys?" she asked, and Jared immediately stopped pulling.

"Oh, hey Mrs. Toriel," he nodded, then proceeded with his tugging.

"W-what are you doing?" she virtually shrieked.

Jared was going to tell the truth, when something occurred to him. If he wasn't allowed to tell Chara, then maybe Toriel wasn't supposed to know either. He glanced down at Asriel and made a split second decision.

"We were…um…demonstrating?" he attempted, and Toriel blushed furiously under her fur.

"And what, pray tell, were you demonstrating?" her voice was eerily calm.

"Uh…we were demonstrating…we were demonstrating…" he looked at Rusty for help, but the younger boy had decided that then would be a good time to shut up.

"We were demonstrating…why gay marriage is okay?"

Toriel, Asriel, and Rusty all screamed "WHAT?!" in unison. (Or, rather, Rusty screamed WT!?")

"And you thought this was the appropriate why?" the monster asked.

"Because…because…Asriel said…he may want to try it?" Jared ventured, and Toriel covered her mouth with her paws.

"A-Azzy?" she whispered, "is this true?"

Rusty tried shrieking that is wasn't true, but was silenced by a swift kick from Jared. Asriel, not fully understanding what was going on, nodded wholeheartedly.

"Well," Toriel deadpanned. "This is certainly an interesting development." Her eyes narrowed as she noticed something odd about her son. "Uh, azzy? Where is your locket?"

Jared didn't know why he said what he said next. He would later say he wasn't thinking clearly. Whatever it was, it forever sealed his fate as Rusty's best friend:

"Anal beads," he deadpanned, and for a moment, it seemed as though the entirety of the Underground fell silent in a moment of tribute for what was sure to be a well-cooked human. Toriel, however, decided that enough was enough, and turned and walked away without another word.

Many minutes later, through a combination of Rusty's magic and Jared's might, they managed to get the teen out of the hole, locket in hand. He stared at Jared blankly and didn't even bother handing the locket to Asriel, just holding out his hand for the monster to grab.

"Anal beads," he repeated, his expression hard to read. "How, in the name of God, is anal beads better than he dropped it in a hole?"

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Jared defended as Asriel just looked confused.

"What, exactly, is your definition of 'worked?'" Rusty asked, his face blank.

"It got Toriel to leave us alone, and she didn't even find out Asriel lost it. Wasn't it supposed to be a secret that he dropped it in the hole?" Jared argued.

"It was a secret from Chara," Rusty explained, a fire igniting in his eyes. "Literally, anybody else could've known, and it would've been alright."

Jared's eyes widened, and nobody spoke for a long while. When Jared did speak, his voice was strained.

"I've got some explaining to do," he said, walking in the direction that Toriel had left. Rusty, however, grabbed him by the collar of the shirt and spun him so the teens were facing each other. "P-please don't hurt me," Jared begged, but Rusty did nothing except nod.

"Thanks for your help back there," he said simply. "Maybe you are an idiot, but you're a pretty cool idiot."

Before Jared could question him, Rusty took Asriel's hand and left to get the two of them cleaned up.

* * *

"So, what I'm trying to say," Jared said to a dumbstruck Toriel, "is that we didn't actually mean any of those things. It's just that there was a major lack of communication between the parties involved."

"I am just amazed," Toriel said.

"Amazed at what?" Jared asked hopefully.

"Amazed at the fact that someone can be so painfully stupid. You're grounded for a month," she rubbed her temples with her paws. "You children are going to make me take up drinking," she muttered.

"I mix," Jared shrugged, and Toriel looked at him, a small smile crossing her face.

"I'd like that," she nodded.

 **I had an absolute blast writing this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it just as much. Also, I've seen a lot of comment about "what am I going to do with Frisk?" Initially, I hadn't planned on introducing Frisk (as he (it's a guy in my head) is the eighth child.) However, you guys seemed to really like the idea of seeing Frisk interact with some of these other children, so I've created another poll on my profile where you can vote for if you want to see Frisk in the story or not. Warning, if I do introduce Frisk, I'll have to make some changes to the way the barrier functions.**

 **This chapter explored Rusty x Jared.**

 **Next chapter will be Jared x Chara.**

 **Other than that, I'll see you guys next time.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I probably should've been a bit clearer when I said "Jared x Chara" last chapter. I am not actually shipping them in a real relationship, and I am, instead, writing this chapter to further explain the relationship between the new siblings. Sorry for any confusion. Even if some of your comments about it were pretty funny. This plot arc is going to delve deeper into the pasts of Amy and Jared, with Rusty kind of taking a step back.**

 **-7 Chapters Remain-**

-Bravery-

Jared stared at the ceiling, progressively getting more and more pissed off. He didn't mind being grounded, but even he had to admit the dungeon was going a bit far. Mercifully, Toriel had shortened his sentence to two weeks and a stern lecture, which made the waiting bearable.

After all, there wasn't much to complain about. All his meals were delivered to them, and all the food was delicious (except the snail pie, which he outright refused to try.) He was allowed an hour each day to go outside and roam free, as long as he was accompanied by a Royal Guardsman. The most interesting time of his day, though, was when he got to know more about his new "family."

Every day, right after lunch, all of the Dreemurrs and the humans living with them would go into the dungeons to visit with the new boy. And, the more they talked, the more natural it felt each time. Rusty and Jared had surprisingly been able to laugh their entire ordeal off, and Amy had (somewhat) forgiven the teen for his sexual comments when he first appeared. The only two he had yet to meet were Chara and Asriel.

"Can you blame me?" Toriel sighed about a week into his sentence when he asked why he hadn't been fully introduced. He couldn't.

After all, if Rusty's stories were true, Asriel was coming up to his family members asking what some very peculiar terms meant. The members all had their own methods to counteract this:

Asgore would immediately change the subject to something less provocative,

Toriel would ask where he heard the new word and would tell him not to say it anymore,

Rusty would take off his scarf and fell asleep until Asriel walked away,

and Amy would truthfully respond. Her method had apparently gotten her into some trouble as well, as Jared one day woke up to find her residing in the cell opposite his own.

"'Sup?" she asked, looking a little too smug.

"Not much. What'd you do?" Jared asked simply, and Amy shrugged.

"My parents always told me honesty was the best policy."

"And?" Jared asked.

"It guess it wasn't," Amy snickered a little.

"Well, sorry about that," Jared sat up, yawning a little.

"It's not your fault. Just like it's not his," Amy pointed to the cell to Jared's right, where Rusty was sitting.

"Hey," he waved halfheartedly. "How's it going?"

Jared was silent for a moment, then turned to face Amy once more.

"I think I'm going to need some context," Jared said.

"Your guess is as good as ours," Rusty shrugged. "We fell asleep last night, and woke up here."

"I think I can be of some help," Asgore rumbled cheerfully as he walked through the entrance. "But, before I start, how is everyone feeling? Is there anything I can get any of you?"

"Tell us what's happening, or I end you," Amy deadpanned.

"Excellent," Asgore's smile never wavered. "Now, I think you deserve to know the full truth of what's happening. But first, a little back-story. Rusty, do you remember those usurpers who tried to kill you several months ago?"

"Been trying to forget," Rusty said cheerfully.

"Wonderful." Asgore clapped his hands together. "Now, onto business. Those rebels are starting to gain some momentum, and believe the best course of action is to kill you all, take your SOULs, pass through the barrier, kill four more humans, and shatter the barrier once and for all."

"You mean three more SOULs?" Jared asked. "With Chara, Amy, Rusty and me, they'll only need three more SOULs to take it down."

"Ah, yes, how silly of me," Asgore said. Jared noticed, however, his smile became rather fixed.

The three humans digested this new information. Rusty was the first to speak.

"So, why keep us here? Why not just kill us and be done with it?"

"Rusty, I don't want you talking like that," Asgore reprimanded. "You're just as much a member of the Dreemurrs as myself or Toriel."

Rusty, looking flabbergast at being called a member of the family, shut up.

"W-why keep us here, though?" Amy repeated Rusty's earlier question. "There must be somewhere less…dungeony where we can stay, right?"

"I'm afraid not," Asgore said, his smile disappearing in an instant. "With these rebels, I'm not sure anywhere in the Underground is truly safe anymore. Please realize, this is for your own good. We know best," Asgore gave a little bow, then turned to walk out.

"What about Asriel?" Rusty growled. "Will Azzy be safe?"

Asgore stopped dead, and didn't speak for a long time. Not even bothering to turn, he gave a deep rumble. "As I said before, nowhere is truly safe anymore."

With that, he walked out and slammed the door shut behind him.

* * *

"Well," Amy said a few hours later, absently chewing her hair, "this blows."

"Not as much as I do," Jared snickered, pointing a gun shaped hand at her.

"I'm sure I'd love to find out. Those bars separating Rusty and you, how wide are they?" Amy asked, causing Rusty to blush furiously.

"Wide enough for me to play with my food," Jared winked seductively at Rusty, who pulled off his scarf with a huff and was snoring away mere moments later. The second he was out, Amy's face hardened.

"Alright, perv, start talking. What do you know about this rebellion?" Amy hissed fiercely, making Jared stumble back. She may only be three years older than him, but she could still turn very nasty if she needed to.

"W-what are you implying?"

"Cut the shit, you bastard," she growled. "You show up, and not but a week later, there's an uprising. What do you know?"

"I-I swear," Jared put his hands up in defeat. "I don't know anything about this. It was completely out of my control."

Amy eyed Jared suspiciously, but averted her gaze when the door slammed open and the Dreemurrs charged into the room.

"Damn, asleep already," Chara giggled, getting her a vicious look from Toriel.

"Who taught you that word?" she asked, then shook her head. "Nevermind, it matters not at the moment. We do, however, require his alertness. Does anyone know of any ways to wake him?" Toriel asked nobody and particular, and Chara raised her hand.

"Oh, I have an idea," she chirped cheerfully.

"What is it, Chara?" Toriel asked pleasantly.

"Now, bear with me," the human girl smiled evilly, before stomping with all her might on Asriel's foot. In less than a second, Rusty was clinging to the bars, reaching to try and comfort the sobbing monster.

"Damn Chara, you don't mess around, do you?" Jared snickered, getting a dirty look from Toriel and Rusty.

"Chara, that was very rude of you," she eyed now-alert Rusty. "Even if it was effective. Apologize to your brother immediately."

Chara draped an arm around her brother and pulled him into a tight bear hug.

"Sorry, Asriel," she said as she released Asriel, and it even sounded a little sincere.

"I-it's okay," Asriel sniffled, wiping his eyes with his paws. "I know you did it for a good reason."

Asgore, chuckling slightly, unlocked the door to Rusty's cell, who immediately flew to Asriel to pull the boy into and equally spine-crushing bear hug.

"AzzyareyouhurtanywhereisyourfootokaydidthatmeanCharahurtyouwiththatbighugwhyaren'tyouansweringme?" Rusty spewed out as the monster struggled to breathe.

"That's enough, Rusty," Asgore said, and the boy released the monster.

"Hey, that's a load of bull. Why does he get released when we don't?" Jared asked fiercely.

"Because…" Toriel trailed off, so Asgore spoke for her.

"We want him to cross the barrier with Asriel to take him to safety."

The room fell silent, save for an occasional sniffle from Asriel.

"W-why me? Why not Amy? She's been here longer, she deserves to see the sunlight more than I do," Rusty argued, but Amy immediately shot him down.

"Rusty, it isn't a matter of fairness," she observed, surprisingly calm. "This is relating to the fact that Asriel trusts you more than any other human here, except maybe Chara. But the two of them wouldn't be able to sustain themselves on the surface, especially considering Asriel's a monster. They need someone responsible who can get along well with the kids."

"What about Chara?" Jared observed. "Won't she be crossing the barrier?"

A pained look crossed Toriel and Asgore's faces, so Chara spoke for them.

"It's been decided that I will be staying in the Underground. It's a human SOUL they require, and I'm the best candidate, considering my SOUL is the strongest out of all four of ours. If I were to go with Asriel to the outside world, the rebels would grow angry and may turn…unpleasant."

"So you're going to martyr yourself?" Rusty cried, but Chara help up a hand to silence him.

"Of course not, you oaf," she said, but everyone present could see the fear in her face. "I have every intention of keeping my SOUL. This is merely an insurance policy, should we fail."

"B-but," Rusty started, but Asgore held up a hand to silence him.

"Enough, Rusty. We shall not allow the insurgents to enter these castle walls. Now is the time to prepare for battle. Rusty, this fight will be won through power, not through kindness, I'm afraid."

"Why can't it?" Rusty cried. "What makes this situation so different? I thought you said everything can be solved by talking!"

"Not this," Asgore thundered, in such a way that even Jared was awestruck. Amy realized at that moment she had never seen Asgore truly angry until this point, not even when Rusty's parents came for their unexpected visit.

Rusty was quiet for a long time, glancing between everyone present as if begging for someone to tell him it was all a lie. When nobody did, he gave a little groan and turned to Asriel.

"Come on, kid, let's get out of this place."

Asgore nodded and escorted the other Dreemurrs out with himself and Rusty.

"What now?" Rusty asked. "We can't just sit here while there's a rebellion going on. We have to do something?"

"What can we do? I'm not saying we should just sit back and let it happen, but we're kind of stuck here for a while," Amy shrugged. "I say, let's just sit back and relax. After all, isn't PATIENCE a virtue?" she said, her eyes growing wide as the ground started rumbling.

"An earthquake?" Jared asked, taking cover under his bedframe.

"No…" Amy trailed off, her eyes glazing over. "This…is…"

* * *

In Snowdin, Sans's eyes glowed a vibrant aqua. His normal grin faltered a little.

"About time, kid," he muttered under his breath as his eye returned to normal.

* * *

"Amy," Jared said, staring at the woman in shock.

"Let's go, then?" Amy asked cheerfully, a knife glowing in hand and a ribbon glowing in her hair. She took only a moment to aim, then, with great precision, tore through the bars of her cell with ease. She walked over to Jared's cell, and the boy was soon released as well.

"W-what happened to being patient?" Jared asked, a hint of awe in his voice as Amy walked out of the room.

 **Guys, let me just start with one thing: Thank you. Thank you, so damn much. This month alone, I've received almost 9,000 views on all my stories combined (this story attributing to roughly 2/3 of those views.) So, I figure I should so something to thank you all. So, here it is:**

 **From now (Jan. 30** **th** **) until February 7** **th** **, any question that is commented in any of my stories will be truthfully answered in the author's notes of the next chapter.. It can be about the stories themselves of about me as a person, but there are a few rules:**

 **1\. No asking for credit card information. That's just a dick move.**

 **2\. No asking for spoilers. Everything in due course.**

 **Actually, that's it for rules. Limit 1 comment answered per account. So, if you really want to know a lot about me, ask for a lot of info in a single comment. And, remember, anything I answer will be completely truthful.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Next chapter is going to be me answering your questions, so feel free to ask me anything. If I messaged you an answer, I'll still publicly post it for everyone to read. Remember, I'll answer almost anything about either the story or my personal life. As of now, there's not a single ask I've received that I won't answer (other than the one I PMed you about, but I'll still give you a real answer next chapter (you know who you are.))**

 **-** **6 Chapters Remain-**

 **-Outside World-**

Rusty tried his best to calm his sobbing parent. One of them had managed to keep it together rather well, considering the circumstances. The other, however…

"It's okay, Asgore," he soothed to the king. "I'll be okay."

"I-I know you will be," Asgore sniffled a little, pulling Rusty into a rib-crushing hug. "I just don't want you to get hurt!"

"I think it's a little late for that," Rusty strained. Toriel quickly stepped in to rescue him.

"Come on, Asgore, we need to prepare to defend this castle. Rusty and Asriel will be perfectly okay. It's not them I'm worried about," Toriel said.

Asgore nodded and turned to walk out. Just before he left the room, he looked back at Rusty and smiled widely.

"You're going to do great things, Rusty," he sighed, then left without another word.

Rusty turned to face the barrier, and held out his hand for Asriel to take.

"Ready, kiddo?" he asked, giving a small grin. He hadn't seen real sunlight in almost two months. He really missed it.

Asriel nodded, wiping his eyes a little. "Ready."

Rusty felt their SOULs connect, molding and forming together, granting them the strength needed to cross this barrier. Rusty bravely marched on ahead.

And promptly ran headfirst into the still-solid barrier.

"I don't understand," Rusty said an hour later, feeling his way across the invisible wall, searching for even the slightest indicator of an escape route. "Is it broken?"

"I don't think so," Asgore said to his right, also looking for any crack in the barrier. "Maybe you didn't run fast enough? You know, to build up some momentum?"

Rusty thought about it for a moment, then went back up a few steps. He ran full-force at the barrier, but only succeeded in literally being flung back by the recoil. When he stood up, there was a trail of blood dripping down from his forehead.

"I don't feel so good," he gurgled, then collapsed face-first onto the ground.

"Well, this blows," Chara exhaled, and Toriel just stared at her, not even bothering to ask where she had learned such a phrase.

"Perhaps…their SOULs need to completely fuse?" Chara suggested, pulling a knife out of nowhere and brandishing it with worrying precision.

"Let's keep thinking," Asgore suggested, cradling Rusty's limp body in his arms.

"After all, the boy's parents left without any trouble. I wonder what it could be?" Toriel asked nobody in particular.

* * *

Jared and Amy were in some deep shit. Quite literally.

"Listen, I know you said it's the fastest way out of the castle without being seen, but don't you think the sewers should have been a last resort?" Jared asked an amused Amy.

"Don't worry, monster food works differently than human food. This is probably just bathing water," Amy clarified, and Jared froze.

"Hold up. You're saying Rusty bathed in this stuff?" he asked, his eyes growing wide.

"You're creepy, and I would very much appreciate it if you shut up now."

"Got it," Jared grumbled, slogging behind the woman. The sewer normally would be pitch black, but Amy's still-glowing ribbon and knife were providing ample light for the humans to see where they were going.

"Where are we going?" Jared asked.

"No idea," Amy responded, turning yet another corner. "I just know the castle walls are pretty big, and we may even want to leave the city boundaries this way. It's best if we aren't spotted right away."

"What's the worst they'll do, throw us back in the dungeon?" Jared asked, and Amy's face grew grim.

"It's not Mom and Dad I'm worried about finding us."

Jared opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly shushed by Amy. "I think I hear someone," she whispered under her breath, clinging close to the wall on her left. "We're coming up on a fork. I'll take left, you take right. Do you have any weapons with you?" she asked, and Jared shook his head.

"No, but I'll be alright. I'm nothing if not BRAVE."

Once again, the earth beneath the humans shook violently.

* * *

In Snowdin, Sans's smile faltered for a moment. His eyes glowed a brilliant orange as he cursed under his breath.

"Where are you, kid? This timeline's getting more and more messed up by the day," he mumbled as his eyes stopped glowing. "Oh, well, might as well help the second kid out, while I'm at it…"

* * *

Jared stood, staring dumbstruck at his hands. Covering them now was a pair of glowing orange gloves. On his head hummed an equally orange bandana with several strange symbols woven into the fabric. So, he reacted like almost anyone would have in this situation.

"What the actual fuck just happened?" he asked, eyes wide.

* * *

Toriel, Asgore, and Asriel looked in shock at Rusty. Though his scarf lay off to the side, the boy was wide awake.

"I think," he chuckled a little, gesturing for Asriel to come to him, "I found my ticket out of here."

"Hey, it's about time you woke up," Chara laughed. "And look, you've even got a new style!"

She gestured to the green apron that covered Rusty's chest, and the frying pan that was hanging loosely at his side. Rusty made to speak, but doubled over in pain a second later. Images flashed through his mind, some lasting longer than others.

One image stood out above all others, though: a blonde boy smiling pleasantly at him, his outfit the likes of which Rusty had never seen before. These visions soon faded, replaced instead by a sudden wave on nausea. Rusty's new equipment faded from view, returning him to his normal outfit. He stumbled for a second before tipping forward.

"Rusty, are you okay?" Toriel asked, rushing to catch him, but Chara stopped her from going any further.

"He's finally uncovered his SOUL'S CONTENT. In his particular case, he has KINDNESS. Strange, all four of us have a different ability so far…" Chara trailed off, looking a mixture of concerned and excited.

"Chara, what are you talking about?" Asriel asked, already at Rusty's side.

"Well, you know that a human's SOUL is stronger than a monster's, right? Well, human SOULS are also much more varied than the monsters'. They fall into one of seven categories, each with a…unique…ability that only their particular class can use," she explained as if this were common knowledge.

"You sound like you're making this up," Asgore reprimanded, but Toriel held up a hand to silence him.

"Who told you this information?" she asked, fearing she already knew the answer.

"That skeleton man, Sans," Chara smiled. "And I think he's the reason Rusty and Asriel can't leave."

* * *

Jared, still somewhat in shock, had elected to take the right side of the fork, while Amy had charged into the left edge.

"Okay, Jared, calm down," he cheered himself on. "After all, you've got some new equipment. So, if things go wrong, I can just solve it…right?" he asked, glancing down at his gloves and knowing full well that, if the time came, he would not be able to kill a living thing.

"Alright, ma'am," a voice shook him from his stupor. "What's the plan for now?"

It sounded close. A little exploring quickly revealed their hideout: just around the next bend to the right. Jared rushed so he was just out of their sight, but was still able to hear everything they said.

"I've explained it a million times," their leader said. They sounded female, but they were definitely on the masculine side of the spectrum. "At dawn, we're going to strike them right where it hurts. Those bastards will never see it coming!"

There was a chorus of cheers to greet this, and Jared saw his chance. He charged around the corner and began swinging his arms wildly. Needless to say, this method got him about three steps into the monsters' camp before he was restrained.

"What's HE doing here," another female voice asked as Jared struggled against the two knights on either side of him. "I've heard about these humans. I heard they hated spiders," the voice cackled.

"Easy, Muffet," the leader said again, stepping into view. "He's on our side," Undyne snickered.

"Y-you're one of the Royal Guardsmen!" Jared exclaimed, still struggling wildly.

"You've got that much right, other than the 'men' part," she sneered. "One, Two, let him go," she gestured to the knights on either side of Jared, who immediately released the human, not realizing that they had been dangling him a few feet of the ground.

Jared hit the floor with a dull thud and a string of curses. "Alright, what're you doing down here?"

"The same thing I'm guessing you're doing. Trying to escape without being seen," she shrugged. "Or am I wrong, and you're one of those traitors?

"N-no, I'm on your side," Jared affirmed. "Wait, why're you trying to escape? Aren't you the Royal Guard? Why can't you just freely leave New Home?"

Undyne's expression turned grim. "Asgore locked us up so we couldn't fight. Said 'it was too dangerous,' and that we should just lie low while he handled it."

"Asgore…why would he…" Jared's hand instinctively grasped his pocket, where he would always keep a pocket knife on the surface world. But, this wasn't the surface, and there was no knife to keep him safe. _How ironic,_ he thought to himself, smiling bitterly. _The biggest coward in the world doesn't even get a real weapon to protect himself._

"Your guess is as good as mine. What I do know, though, is that he can't win against all of them. Don't get me wrong, Asgore's one of the strongest people I know, but even he has a limit."

"So, you're defying your own king because you don't think he can handle himself?" Jared asked, and all of the Guards' eyes narrowed.

"Aren't you doing to exact same thing? Why are you chastising us?" the woman known as Muffet asked. "And I'm just in this because there's a huge bounty on those rebels' heads. I'm just a collector."

"I'm not like you," Jared explained. "I have no connection to Asgore, Toriel, or even Rusty and Amy. They're just a bunch of strangers who tried to make me their family. It's not going to work, though. I'm going to go to the rebels' base…" Jared trailed off.

"What do you intend to do?" Undyne asked viciously.

"I'm going to let them take my SOUL, so they can cross the barrier and get the last SOULs they need."

There was an uproar, until Undyne silenced everyone by slamming the butt of her spear on the ground. "You foolish child, you realize they'll kill you, right?"

"Wow, I never would've guessed," Jared snarled, but then calmed himself. "I've been a coward my whole life. It's my turn to be the hero for once."

Undyne shook her head. "Idiotic. You're going to martyr yourself, just to let more humans on the surface die. I cannot allow this." A wave of spears appeared around her. "I will not kill you, but you're going to wake up with more than just some bumps and bruises."

Jared acted without thinking. He charged towards Undyne and shoved his palm directly into the Guardswoman's chest. Her eyes widened as she was surrounded by a faint orange glow. Then, before anyone could take in what was happening, there was a loud _crack,_ and Undyne was gone.

* * *

"What do you know about the other SOULs' abilities?" Toriel asked Chara.

"Well, a red SOUL like mine is DETERMINATION; the ability to change the past and alter the future. Amy has PATIENCE; the ability to wait until an opponent is at their most vulnerable and hit the hardest. Rusty had KINDNESS; the ability to seek out others who will share in his destiny. And Jared has COURAGE; the ability to change the fates of those around him."

"My lady," a knight charged into the room, out of breath. "Amy and Jared are gone, as are most members of the Royal Guard!"

Another knight marched in seconds later. "My lady, Miss Undyne has mysteriously appeared back in her cell!"

Toriel glanced at Chara, then looked back at the knights. "Your mission has changed. You and the remained of the knights are to find and aid Jared and Amy, no matter their requests. They may be the only ones who can save us now…"

* * *

Jared was seriously concerned he had killed the nice fish lady, when a symbol appeared on the glove he had tapped her with. A square with bars running down it vertically. A jail cell.

He was so relieved, he almost wept. "I get it, it's like tag," he grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Tap the opponent, and they get sent to jail…"

 **So, I had to make a few changes to how the barrier will be functioning because you guys unanimously wanted Frisk, so I'll also be giving you guys the choice of which six of these guys you want to meet after Frisk. The official poll is up on my profile, and you're allowed to vote for any 6 you want.**

 **PLEASE NOTE: Only votes cast on the actual poll will be counted. Anything put in the comments section will not be counted! Those not chosen will instead be placed in Overtale, where their survival is…not exactly guaranteed.**

 **Sinon (14)-Silent hacker who hates liars**

 **Jean (9)-Wannabe hero with big dreams**

 **Hunter (19)-Violent hunter with a bad streak**

 **Katelyn (16)-Ditzy blonde with a good heart**

 **Lorelei (11)-Virtuoso musician and brilliant dancer**

 **Jack (14)-Shy writer who hates himself and his life**

 **Michael (21)-Stoner/gamer with insomnia and bad judgement**

 **Kendra (18)-Overdramatic actress who likes everything**

 **Rene (15)-Doesn't speak English, but seems nice enough**

 **Paula (20)-Motherly and nurturing, warms quickly to others**

 **Ivan (8)-High energy powerhouse who needs an OFF button**

 **Colin (16)-Cool and level-headed loner who lacks self-confidence**

 **Abigail (15)-Genius, but very cruel, borderline GENOCIDER**

 **Please note, I do have an actual reason for why we need six more people, but for now, let's just not worry about that, shall we? After all, it's all going to make sense in time, so you'll just have to be patient.**

 **Lastly, I've received multiple PMs asking whether or not this story is going to turn darker as it progresses. Of course it is, that's the only way to see a character's true beauty: you must break them. Don't worry, it's not going to become a slaughter fest like some of my other stories. I would say at most two of the fallen children will die, and that's all based on who you pick.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, quick reminder to vote for which of the 6 children you want to meet after Frisk. The next chapter will explain why we need 6 more after him…**

 **-** **5 Chapters Remain-**

 **-Tough Love-**

"Tag," Jared cried with glee as he smashed his palm into another guard's chest. The knight lingered for a moment, giving an audible groan, before vanishing to join his allies back at the Royal Dungeon. Jared whirled around and was met with the girl known as Muffet staring at his gloves in awe.

"You really are something incredible," she purred seductively. Jared was the absolute epitome of smooth.

"Does spider have pusspuss?" he drawled, and Muffet's smile vanished instantly.

"I'll do it myself," she growled, grabbing onto his glove and vanishing a moment later.

"Real smooth, lover boy," a female voice said from behind Jared.

"I'm still available," he chuckled as he sent another Guard to jail. "What're you doing here, I thought you took the left fork?"

"Yeah, but that way was a dead end, so I wanted to see how you were doing," Amy chirped cheerfully, easily deflecting any attacks that came her way with her knife. "Although, I feel like I'm just getting in the way at the moment."

"Nonsense," Jared cried as he scored a double on the two knights who had restrained him before. "You're doing just fine. By the way, what does your weapon do?"

"I don't know, and I'm kind of scared to try it out," was Amy's cheerful response. "So, I take it you were good at tag on the surface?"

"You kidding?" Jared gave an audible laugh. "I sucked at anything athletic. I was always-GOTCHA BITCH-really bad at these kinds of things, so it's kind of nice to be in char-DON'T THINK RUNNING WILL HELP!"

Amy was trying not to laugh to the best of her ability. Simply put, she was doing a very poor job of it. The entire situation was so ridiculous: a bunch of fully grown, highly skilled knights were running away from a boy who was playing tag and massively enjoying himself. The mere fact that some of the knights seemed afraid of Jared just made the entire thing all the funnier; in fact, Amy noticed one of the knight's pants get a bit darker around the crotch and down the legs…

Mercifully, Jared put the poor knight out of his misery and sent him away before any of his buddies could notice his situation (or before a puddle could form.)

In fact, Amy noticed a lot of things about Jared; the way his red hair seemed to flow like fire on his head, the bandana only accentuating the flames even more. The way his surprisingly toned body bended and flexed as though every movement was completely natural, even though he claimed to be unathletic. She had never noticed he was actually taller than she was by several inches, even almost reaching Toriel's height. She had never noticed how, when he smiled, he had elongated canine teeth, giving him two very visible fangs whenever his lips parted.

In that moment, Amy understood the reasoning of every one night stand that Jared had ever been with. She understood why they said yes to a boy who was definitely underage. Because Jared wasn't cute, nor was he pretty.

He was blindingly gorgeous.

And yet, there was something about him that Amy couldn't put her finger on. A silent danger, a feral look in his eyes that said, very clearly, to stay away. Suddenly, it clicked within Amy's head what Jared reminded her of: a trapped fox.

Said fox was currently dispatching wave after wave of Royal Guardsman with ease, not a single blow landing on his body. Amy stood, forgotten by the knights, at the corner of the sewer, staring in awe at the new addition to the Dreemurrs and wondering how she had been so stupid not to have noticed up until now how downright beautiful Jared was. Jared, however, was busy with something else; the approach of Asgore and the rest of the Dreemurrs from down the tunnel.

"Damn, it's the king," he muttered under his breath. "If I send him to jail, he's sure to have a key, then everyone else will be released with him."

"Jared, stop this," Asgore cried as he approached, Toriel and Rusty close behind. "We mean you no harm!"

"I know that," Jared stood up tall, all knights backing off in fear of what their king could do.

"Then why do you continue with this madness?" Toriel asked, expression helpless.

"Because, you'll just send me back to jail," Jared snarled, his eyes glowing orange. "I won't allow anyone else to get hurt. So please, get out of my way and let me give my SOUL to these rebels. They'll leave you alone, and they'll break the barrier. Why are you so against this?"

"Do you really think what you're suggesting will work?" Asgore thundered. "Dying won't change anything. These rebels are not fighting to get a SOUL, they are fighting so they can be in charge!"

Jared shrugged. "Worth a shot."

Asgore grimaced and took a step forwards, drawing his trident from within his robes. Rusty, however, held out a hand to stop the king's approach. In one fluid motion, he plucked a few hairs from Asgore's beard and threw them into his own weapon, a green frying pan. The pan hummed a little in response as the hairs melded into the material.

"Don't worry, Asgore. I can handle things from here on in," Rusty chuckled. "I'll take this dumbass down here and now."

"Really, you've finally got your weapon ready, and you're going to waste it here?" Chara said, mildly amused.

"I wouldn't be worried about that," Rusty smiled warmly. "I'll make it count."

"What are you two talking about?" Toriel asked as Rusty started marching confidently towards Jared.

"A SOUL of kindness like Rusty's has several abilities past sensing allies who are important to him. One of these abilities," Chara started as Rusty's frying pan began twisting and morphing, elongating and growing three distinct points, "is the ability to replicate the abilities of those allies."

Jared's eyebrows lifted slightly in mild shock. Rusty spun an exact replica of Asgore's trident above his head. The very air around the two humans seemed to tremble by the sheer force the boys were giving off.

"I hardly think I need to warn you to avoid those gloves of his," Asgore warned, but Rusty was already charging towards his new foe. Jared braced himself for an attack that never came. At the last moment, and explosion rang out under Rusty's feet, sending him sprawling headfirst into the sewage.

"Ew?" Amy questioned as she walked towards the edge of the water. Rusty broke the surface and gulped hungrily at the air.

"What the actual fuck was that?" he asked, glaring at Toriel, who looked apologetic.

"My apologies, Rusty, but I couldn't bear to watch my own children-"

"Seriously, I'm not your kid."

"-fight each other. Do forgive my intrusion, but don't you think this could be solved peacefully?" she pleaded, and Rusty huffed a little as he climbed onto the dry ledge.

"Fine, I'll try it out," Rusty said and turned to face Jared, his apron and reverted pan vanishing. "Listen, I don't want to hurt you, Jared. You're really fun to have around, so I really don't want to lose you either. But what you're suggesting is idiotic. You're going to get yourself killed because you're too stubborn to face facts."

"Maybe I am," Jared's eyes narrowed, "but I'm not going to sit by while innocent people are in danger."

"We're suggesting no such thing," Asgore exclaimed. "No, we're going to fight back!"

"Toriel just got done saying we should solve this by talking, so what makes those rebels any different?" Jared asked.

"These people won't stop to talk it out. They can't be reasoned with. Their blind hatred and desire is leading them down a very…dangerous…path," Toriel said.

"With your ability, though, nobody has to die," Amy pointed out, Asgore nodding in agreement.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd really rather not have anyone's blood on my hands," Asgore concluded, and Rusty looked mildly hurt.

"What does that make me?" he asked.

"Simply," Chara shrugged, "a human."

"Wait a moment," Rusty's eyes widened. "Where's Asriel?"

"Why, he's right," Asgore gestured to his side, where Asriel most definitely was not. "Chara, where's Asriel?"

Chara's brow furrowed. "I thought he was with you. Mom?"

Toriel shrugged, and everyone's eyes widened at the same moment. They spoke in unison, as though it had been rehearsed:

"OH, SHIT!"

Rusty and Toriel spared no time, literally hurling themselves down the tunnel back to the castle, Asgore in tow. Chara turned to face Amy and Jared.

"It seems you guys are off the hook, for now. In fact, if you were to run, I doubt we would ever find you. Run if you want," she shrugged, and her face showed no signs of hatred, or even contempt. In fact, Jared was sure he saw…was that envy? Before he could figure it out, Chara had already left down the tunnel after the rest of her family.

"Well?" Amy asked, her eyes worried. "What should we do?"

Jared thought about it for a moment then nodded sadly. "WE don't do anything. YOU need to go back and make sure Asriel's safe."

"B-but," Amy started, but a glare from Jared silenced her.

"You're a member of the Dreemurrs, and nothing you say can convince me otherwise." His eyes softened a little. "I can see that you really care about them. So go, be with them now."

Amy opened her mouth to argue, but Jared cut her off again.

"Don't even think you can argue with someone like me," he said, eying her carefully. "In my world, 'no' means 'no.'"

Amy shook her head. "But I'm not saying 'no.' I want to go with you, and put a stop to these rebels who are threatening my family."

Jared's voice had an edge of danger to it. "You don't want to be with me. You have no idea what I'm capable of. I don't need help, and I don't need you."

Amy looked as though he had physically slapped her. "Jared…I-I thought…"

"Thought what?" he snapped. "That we were friends? I didn't even know you a month ago, and here you are acting like you can just tag along on my suicide mission?"

"But why does it have to be a suicide mission?" Amy felt tears rolling down her cheeks, but she didn't wipe them away. "Jared, why won't you help me understand, why can't we be friends? What makes you so sure you have to die?"

"Because I can't stand living anymore!" Jared shrieked, his own eyes watering. "I'm sick of this feeling in my chest that won't go away, no matter how many people that tell me I was amazing. No amount of sex and passion can make up for the fact that I'm a coward!"

"But you're not a coward," Amy pleaded. "You're running straight to your own death! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Why am I here right now?" Jared asked, growing angrier by the second. Why couldn't she just understand that he needed to do this? "Because I'm running. Why do you think I was on Mount Ebott in the first place? Because I was running. It's time I ran towards something instead of away from it!"

Jared ended any further discussion by charging Amy and burying his hand into her chest. The look of betrayal on her face lasted only a second before she was sent to the jail which so many Royal Guards occupied.

* * *

"Hurry," Asgore said as the Dreemurrs entered the castle. "Toriel, Chara, you go check Asriel's room and the kitched. Rusty, you come with me to the throne room."

Everyone nodded at their specific jobs, but already things looked bleak. By the tears in portraits and the shattered relics that littered the ground, it seemed the rebels were already ahead of them. Rusty and Asgore ran with as much speed as they could muster to the throne room, Rusty trying to block out what he saw; doors kicked in, timeless artifacts littering the ground, generations of paintings ripped from their frames. He was definitely not prepared, however, for what he saw when he got to the throne room.

Asriel was kneeling only a few steps away from him, with another biped monster standing in front of him, a sharpened blade pointing at the young prince's throat.

"Hello, human," the monster sneered, its appearance similar to that of a gargoyle"

"Leave him alone!" Rusty roared, Asgore drawing his trident from beside him.

"What can you do?" the monster cackled madly, digging the blade into the prince's shoulder.

Asgore charged forwards, but Rusty noticed too late what the trap was. He barely had time to cry out before the blade started rising to meet Asgore's neck. In that moment, he made a decision.

He ran into Asgore's side, knocking the king out of the way, but sending the boy directly into the sword's arc. He lifted his arms to deflect the blow, but that did nothing to stop the blade. There was a loud _shink,_ sharp pain in his elbow, and Rusty watched his own arm hit the ground with a dull thud.

"O-ow…"Rusty barely had time to choke out before the sword was swung again and a line of red appeared on the human's chest. As the stain on his shirt grew, Rusty had only enough time to make out Asgore running towards him before he hit the ground and knew no more.

 **QUESTION TIME!**

 **Question 1 (paraphrased):  
-How are you doing?**

 **Thank you, person! I'm doing rather well right now, thank you very much, although I'm going through a lot of stress between this story, Overtale, the Final Fantasy III Novelization starting back up this month, and my own original story over at fictionpress! Overall, though, I'm having a pretty good time!**

 **Question 2:**

 **-What color socks are you wearing.**

 **Grey.**

 **Question 3:**

 **-I thought this story wasn't going to get darker?**

 **Don't worry, innocent commenter, this story is going to get to about the point of Percy Jackson's fifth book; nothing descriptive and gory, but there's going to be some mildly dark themes.**

 **Question 4:**

 **-Are there going to be any ships in this story?**

 **I'm actually going to leave that up to you guys. If I see in the comment section that a lot of people are shipping Rusty x Amy, I'll give you guys Rusty x Amy, and so on. This entire story, once I start introducing more characters, is mostly just going to be fanservice. Without the smut (for now.)**

 **Question 5:**

 **-Do you have any social media I can follow you on?**

 **Initially, I wasn't going to answer this, but now's as good a time as any; you can friend me on Facebook, and that's about it. My Facebook name is Ryan Gatzemeyer, and I have a feeling you'll be able to guess which one is me based on the profile pic.**

 **Question 6:**

 **-What personality will the next SOUL have?**

 **The next SOUL, Cassidy, is the yellow SOUL of justice. Overall, he's a pretty easygoing guy, but he's a pretty religious guy and dislikes cursing or premarital sex (Jared is going to try to hit on him several times…). I also stated, he's a cosplayer, and a damn good one at that. He can take ordinary items and make a killer cosplay out of them. Simply put: nice guy, can be a little overbearing at times.**

 **Question 7:**

 **-What are the characters' ages?**

 **Asriel is 10, Chara is 11, Rusty is 16, Jared is 17, Amy is 20, Toriel is 34, Asgore is 36, Cassidy is 15.**

 **Question 8:**

 **-Is Jared bisexual?**

 **Jared's motto in life is 'A hole is a goal.' Do with that information what you will.**

 **Question 9 (more of a comment):**

 **-The characters don't seem to fit their canon SOUL types.**

 **Very good observation! So far, none of these characters really fit their SOUL that well. Amy is really impatient, Rusty can get pretty violent, and Jared openly claims he's a coward. My interpretation of the SOULs is that they aren't who you ARE, they are what you ASPIRE to be. Does that make sense?**

 **Question 10:**

 **-Why is Sans here?**

 **Everything in due time, I promise…**

 **With that, I will talk to you guys next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**The voting is finished for the next 6 human SOULs! Thanks to the people who voted (And I know you guys mostly haven't been, because only 5 people voted. Come on, guys, I'm not as stupid as I act (which really isn't all that difficult…))**

 **This chapter is going to introduce every human that's going to be a main character. Keep in mind, they may appear in this chapter, and then not be seen for another twenty chapters. This chapter is really just to get you ready for who's coming.**

 **Lastly, I know I said I would explain some things about the barrier this chapter, but I couldn't fit it in here, so it's probably going to be next chapter. Key word: PROBABLY.**

 **-** **4 Chapters Remain-**

 **-Nevermore-**

"Rusty!" Asgore cried as he pulled the limp boy into his arms. "Rusty, are you alright?"

"Just…peachy…" Rusty gasped, his face pale.

"Oh, how could I let this happen?" Asgore wailed.

"Next time…I would…suggest…not just…charging a…guy with a…sword…"

Asgore thought about it for a second, then nodded. "Yes, that does make sense now that I think about it."

The gargoyle was less than pleased. "Excuse me, I'm still-"

He was promptly silenced as Asgore shoved his trident into the gargoyle's shoulder. The monster look at the wound, looked at Asgore, looked back at the wound, nodded, pulled out the trident, and calmly walked out of the room, muttering something about "letting you three have your space."

"Rusty, in all seriousness, can you walk on your own?" Asgore asked, guiding Rusty to his feet.

"Y-yeah…I think I'll be…" Rusty said, before promptly falling on his face.

That night marked a low point for the Dreemurr household. Rusty was very weak with a stump where his arm should be, Amy was still borderline catatonic after what Jared said to her, and meanwhile, Jared himself still remained nowhere to be seen. In fact, the only one who seemed willing to smile was, ironically, Chara.

"I think the time has come," she chuckled, pulling a knife out from her back pocket, "for us to have some fun with these rebels."

"Chara," Toriel said wearily, "now is not the time for offense. We should wait and gather ourselves before we do anything too hasty."

"No, she's right," Amy growled. "Those bastards almost took everything from us. If they try again, who's to say they won't succeed?"

"They won't," Asgore muttered. "This time we'll be ready."

"Weren't we ready this time?" Amy asked. "Weren't we prepared for an uprising?"

"Well yes, but," Asgore started, but Toriel cut him off.

"We honestly weren't expecting them to be so straightforward. We were expecting a small uprising here, a little revolt there, but nothing to this degree," she admitted.

"So, we're dead in the water?" Rusty asked groggily, barely keeping his eyes open.

"Pretty much," Chara shrugged, and Asriel whimpered a little.

"W-we're going to be okay, right?" he asked, and Rusty struggled to stand.

"We'll be fine, kiddo," Rusty muttered, shocking everyone as he got to his feet. "Don't worry about me," he reassured Toriel. "I'm alright."

"Unfortunately," Toriel thundered, "you aren't alright. If anything…you're all LEFT!" She flashed a cheesy grin, and the room fell silent for a long time.

"Toriel, I've been life-changingly wounded, Amy's having a panic attack, Jared's an asshole, Chara's enjoying this entirely too much, Asriel and Asgore are borderline sobbing, and you're…making jokes?"

Toriel nodded cheerfully, and Rusty gave an impressed grunt.

"I'll give you credit for lightening the mood," he said, before clutching his head and sitting down. "Damn migraine…won't go away…"

"Do you know what's wrong?" Amy asked, kneeling down so she was at eye level with Rusty.

"Probably just my body going through shock. I'm pretty much…" Rusty glanced down at his arm. "Broken, you know?"

The Dreemurrs made to comfort Rusty, but Amy held shot them a look that clearly said, _**Give us some time.**_

Everyone agreed that leaving Amy with Rusty was probably a very poor idea considering the humans' conditions, but nobody wanted to argue with a look that clearly gave off a message of murder, so they reluctantly left, Asgore giving one last worried glance before shutting the door.

Amy sighed deeply and stared at Rusty, who was still glaring at his arm, as though it were his limb's fault it had gotten cut off. She heaved a massive sigh and raised her hand, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to do.

There was a loud crack heard throughout the house, and Rusty raised a shaky hand to his now-red cheek.

"Y-you just…hit me?" Rusty said, sounding almost like a question.

"Damn right I did," Amy said, her eyes stern, yet soft. "We can't just sit here and feel sorry for ourselves. We have to find the people responsible and put an end to this here and now. And the only way for us to do that is if our heads are clear. We need to get going," she said, and Rusty shot her a sarcastic thumbs up.

* * *

"This blows," Jared muttered as he wandered through the sewer. "I don't even know where I am. Wherever it is, though," he observed, seeing his breath turn to mist, "it's got to be pretty cold." He heaved a sigh of relief, seeing a light a ways away. "Finally."

He sprinted the entire way to the exit, which happened to be roughly a mile in length (optical illusions are assholes,) and was heaving quite heavily by the time his shoes crunched in the snow. A massive snowman stood in the center of a large clearing, and he was pretty sure he heard voices not far off. He was ready to finally relax, when he caught some of what they were saying.

"Did ya 'ear?" a deep male voice said. "Squad three 'ad ta pull back, but 'ey got one da kids pretty bad, 'parently. Heard Calibri talkin', the boy's near dead."

"Oh dear," a familiar female voice said, a small snicker lying under her voice. "How very unfortunate, uhuhu. But those humans, I've heard some bad things about them, ahuhu. I've heard they love killing spiders, ahu. So, for now, consider the remainder of my work for free, understand?"

 _Rusty?_ Jared thought to himself, before shaking his head. _He's not my problem anymore. If I just turn myself in now, they'll leave everyone alone._

"So, wha's the plan from 'ere on in?" the male voice said, and a female responded.

"We find all three of the humans, and we kill every last one of them. As long as they live, they're a danger to just," a seductive voice said, and Jared felt his mind going foggy. After all, a voice that beautiful couldn't be wrong, could it?"

"Hey, buddy," a sharp voice broke Jared from his trance. He glanced around, but saw no one. "Down here, numbnuts!"

Jared obliged, and was met with a very agitated looking wallaby.

* * *

Cassidy grumbled a little as he hit the buzzer on his alarm. Today was a big day, and not one he intended to miss. His class was going on a field trip.

He gave a massive yawn as he forced himself out of bed, picking up the first pair of socks he found on the ground. The first sniff quickly revealed they probably shouldn't be worn any time in the near future, but Cassidy put them on regardless. They were going hiking, so it didn't make sense to sweat up another pair of socks. He glanced at the clock and groaned. It was way too late for any kind of breakfast. But there was time for one thing…

He tore open the door to his closet, double checking that everything was in place.

"Kaneki…Kirito…Death the Kid…perfect," he said, relieved everything was in place. There was going to be a massive con in town that weekend, and Cassidy was planning on a different cosplay every day. Not that he had time to worry about that right now. After all, it was only Tuesday. He had a while.

He sprinted out the front door and cleared the twenty feet between his porch and the bus in less than two seconds. The bus driver smirked a little, but said nothing as Cassidy gasped for breath, looking for his spot. His face lit up as he saw his friend towards the back. Jack gave a weak smile as Cassidy plopped down next to him.

"Hey, bro, how's it going?" Cassidy asked, giving a cheeky grin. Jack fidgeted a little, but Cassidy could see a small smile tugging at his lips.

"J-just fine. You excited for today?" Jack asked, not taking his eyes off the floor.

"You kidding? I've been waiting for this for a long freaking time," Cassidy said closing his eyes for a short nap before school. It wasn't long, though, before his eyes shot open. "Wait, I forgot to do this earlier," he said, bowing his head and holding his hands together. Jack politely waited for Cassidy to finish praying before speaking.

"W-what did you ask for?" he asked.

"Nothing major," Cassidy said, going back to his nap. "Just that you'll ask me one of these days."

Jack blushed furiously, but didn't speak.

* * *

Diane sipped her tea as she typed furiously on the keyboard, Sinon looking on with mild amusement. She didn't even look up when the door opened and was gently pushed shut.

"Hey, Jack," she muttered, not taking her eyes off the screen. She was writing a very passionate moment between her two favorite characters, and she needed to concentrate as much as she could. Jack didn't try talking to her, knowing it would just get him yelled at. He hated getting yelled at.

Instead, he meekly took the seat to Diane's right and booted up his own computer, waiting for the screen to light up before continuing his own manuscript. Sinon had read what he had written so far, and had cheerfully signed everything she liked and disliked about it. Cassidy, however, was much more open about supporting his best friend, and proclaimed loudly to anyone who would listen that Jack was the best writer of this generation. Jack merely blushed and muttered weakly that he wasn't really that great, a comment which Diana agreed with.

The door opened once more as Cassidy stepped in, making Diane sigh with annoyance. Cassidy was a nice guy, but there was no denying he was loud, and she really needed to concentrate if she was going to finish this scene of love and passion before their grade left on the field trip. Cassidy was strangely quiet, however, but Diane didn't mind much. It was better to not pry when it came to Cassidy. When the time was right, it could be bet on that he would tell all.

* * *

Alice sobbed openly as she ran through the woods. _Brother, where are you? Mom and Dad told me they found you, but they didn't say where!_ She stumbled and fell to her knees, the tears falling to the ground unhindered.

 _It's hopeless,_ she decided, feeling her eyelids grow heavy. It was better just to disappear…

"'Ey, kid," a confidant female voice woke Alice up. She glanced around and realized it was night. The last she had remembered, the sun was high in the sky. "What're you doin' lyin' on the ground?"

"W-who are you?" she asked the large woman who stood before her.

The woman didn't even looked phased, instead just shooting a toothy grin. "Name's Paula. Who're you?"

Alice thought about it for a second. Rusty had always told her not to talk to strangers, but Paula seemed really nice…

"I-I'm Alice…"

"Alice?" Paula asked, and the girl nodded. "Well, nice ta meetcha, Alice! C'mon, let's getcha some grub!"

* * *

Lorelei gasped in an effort to keep up with the two boys she was supposed to be babysitting. "Ivan! Jean! Slow down, I'm too old for this," she begged.

"You aren't that old," Ivan teased. "You're only what, sixty?"

"Sixteen," Lorelei corrected, before realizing Ivan knew full well what he meant. "Come back here, you little hellion. Don't make me call your parents!"

"Maybe we should listen to her," Jean said to his friend. "My parents told me to do what she told us to do."

"And you always just listen to your parents?" Ivan teased, getting a reproachful look from Jean.

"N-no way! Hey Lori, catch us if you can," he said, trying to sound like Ivan, who cackled madly.

"Oh, this is not going to be fun," Lorelei groaned. "At this rate, I'm going to miss my recital!"

* * *

Abigail smirked at the man cowering in the corner, knife at the ready.

"P-please," the man begged. "I have a family!"

Abigail cocked her head slightly, a smirk growing on her face. "I know. And I think it's time you joined them." She raised the knife above her head, ready to land a killing blow, when her eyes widened in shock. She stumbled around a bit, her mind struggling to take in this new information. When she finally made out the voices in her head, she burst into riotous laughter, her cackles echoing through the building.

"Sans, you sly bastard, what did you do this time?" she cried to the sky, as the man tried to scuttle away. "A timeline like this hasn't come around for a long while! I've been wondering how long it would be until I got to meet you face to face again," Abigail screamed with joy as she kneeled down and slit the man's throat. He let out a weak gurgle before collapsing to the ground in a heap. Abigail's eyes flashed a murderous red, as she glared in the direction of Mt. Ebott.

"It's been so long since I got to see your face, Sans. But now, this is the beginning of the end." A wicked smile crept across her face, her eyes blank and emotionless. "And I can't wait to bathe in your dust."

 **Your votes are in! The next humans, in order, are:  
Cassidy**

 **Diane**

 **Alice**

 **Frisk**

 **Jack**

 **Jean**

 **Sinon**

 **Lorelei**

 **Ivan**

 **Abigail**

 **Why's Paula in this chapter, you ask? EXPOSITION! Also, I'm going to, from now on, answer any question you guys have about the CHARACTERS in the author's notes from now on. I'll try to avoid answers that are too spoilery, but I'll do my best to answer as many questions as I can!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Time for shit to get real! This will mark the START of me explaining why they need 14 humans instead of 7. Also, you may (hopefully) notice a small shift in my writing style for this chapter. To put it simply, I'm trying something new, so be sure to comment which style you guys like more. These next few chapters may feel a bit awkward, so I feels it's just fair to warn you that this story is going to suck even more than it already does.**

 **-** **3 Chapters Remain** **-**

Rusty gave a sharp cry as a stray piece of metal dug into his knee. This was the second time today Amy had snuck out, and even though she swore she remembered the path, Rusty was starting to have second thoughts. After all, he didn't remember the sewers being made of rusty metal and being barely large enough to crawl in. He himself actually did remember the path Asgore had shown him, but he decided it was probably best to keep that to himself. After all, Amy had already hit him once today, and that was not a feeling he wanted to remember. As his magic set to work on healing this new wound, he absentmindedly rubbed his still-red cheek and he tried listening to what Amy was saying.

"Alright, I think it was a left here. How're you holding up, Rusty?" she asked, and Rusty thought about it. He no longer had anything resembling a right arm from the elbow down, the wound on his chest stung like crazy, and he was pretty sure if he lost any more blood any time soon, he would pass out. Even stumbling down this tunnel awkwardly was taking a lot more out of him than was probably considered healthy.

"All in all," he decided, "pretty fucking bad. But, it could be worse."

Amy nodded and continued chatting away, despite her warning to Rusty telling him to keep quiet. They had been wandering around for almost an hour, and nobody had found them yet, so she had apparently seen it fit to tell Rusty her whole life story, sparing no details. As he struggled to listen to her telling him about the time her bunny had been hit by a bus, he decided just to give up altogether. There was already too much on his mind without having to hear about Fluffy and his preemptive demise. A loud booming from far behind them, however, shut Amy up pretty quickly.

Nobody spoke for a long time as they waited to see if anyone was following them. The only noise was a steady dripping coming from just above Rusty's head. After a few more minutes of silence, Amy decided the coast was clear, and continued on her life story, this time telling about how her pet cat, Dog, had almost killed her pet dog, Cat. Rusty wisely decided not to ask.

Another booming sound, much closer this time, quieted them once more, as realization dawned on Rusty.

"The tunnel's collapsing," he gasped, a small trickle of water beginning to flow underneath him.

"How can you be so sure?" Amy asked, as the trickle grew to a steady stream.

"Amy, do you have any idea where this tunnel is?" She pondered it for a moment, then shook her head, proving to Rusty she had no idea what she was doing. "I think this tunnel is used for transporting water back to the castle. But it looks pretty old," he observed, and Amy turned pale.

"S-so we're…underwater?" she asked, knowing the answer. Rusty nodded grimly, his tone sharp.

"It looks like the walls are finally giving out. Damn, it couldn't have waited a few more hours?" he grumbled as a massive crash sounded from what seemed like only feet behind them. The stream started gaining force, whipping up the sides and into the humans' faces. "We have to move. Now!"

Amy nodded at the command, crawling as fast as possible. More water began filling the tunnel, almost reaching up to their necks. A sharp gasp gained Rusty's attention, but not nearly as much are running into Amy's halted body.

"What're you doing? We have to get out of here," he asked, shocked to see how scared the older girl looked. "W-wait…don't tell me…" Everything clicked at once, and Rusty's opened his mouth in shock, which was a bad idea with water rising so quickly. "You're afraid of deep water?!"

There was massive crash from above them as the tunnel collapsed, and the world went black.

* * *

Amy dreamed of home. Not Home, but her real home in Minnesota. The green grass flowing softly underfoot, beautiful trees growing all around. The sky clear, save for a few puffy white clouds. The water a deep, shimmering blue. As much as she hated being in the water, there was no denying that it was beautiful this time of year. But what was that? Amy kneeled down to get a better look at the dead flower directly beneath her.

A sharp gust of wind blew in from the sea, carrying an odd cold that seemed to melt into her very core. She glanced up, gasping in shock as the previously vibrant meadow lay wilting and dead, everything melting beneath her into a thick brown sludge. The wind stengthened, pushing Amy away from the sea, bringing with a black clouds that hung threateningly overhead. And yet, the sea remained as blue as ever, almost inviting her to dive in headfirst.

She felt herself sinking into the sludge, but realized too late just how thick it was. The trees moved towards her with their branches, and she groped for them; yet they always seemed just out of her reach. When she finally grabbed onto the nearest branch, it died in her hands, crumbling into a mass of black leaves which tore into her skin. Amy gave a weak cry as she sunk deeper into the landscape, looking around for anyone to help her. But there was Rusty and Jared, right next to her. Why weren't they doing anything? She reached out for help, but their expressions twisted, turning into demonic sneers.

"Why would anyone help you?" Rusty asked with Asgore's voice. "You're useless to us."

"He's right," Toriel's voice rang out of Jared's body. "What makes you think you're so special? Because you got into an Ivy League college?"

Both of them burst into deep, booming laughter that froze Amy to her core.

"As if something that idiotic would matter down here!" Jared sneered, his face turning into a black slate.

"Hasn't anyone told you?" Rusty asked, a wicked smile erupting on his lips.

"Down here…" the boys spoke in unison as Amy felt herself slipping below the surface. " _It's kill or be killed._ "

* * *

Amy woke up on a shore in tears. Rusty looked down at her, heaving a massive sigh of relief when her eyes opened.

"Thank God you're alright," he sighed, leaning down. She felt their lips touch, but there was no warmth in the kiss. It felt…empty. As though she were kissing her real brother. There was certainly affection present, but she couldn't call it…love?

"Hey now, y'hear? That's not something I wanna see, y'hear?" a strange voice caught Amy's attention, and she looked to the water where she saw….

Really, she wasn't sure what she saw. It was…an onion? An octopus? An anime? A horrifying freak of nature? Really, she wasn't sure what to make of the strange creature floating in the water, and, judging by Rusty's expression, he didn't know either.

"W-who're…you?" Rusty finally gathered the courage to ask. The creature looked oddly proud of itself.

"I-I'm Onion-san, y'hear? I saved you from drowning, y'hear?"

"Uh…huh…" Amy said, eyes wide in shock. She had dealt with a lot of random shit since she had appeared in the Underground, so while for most people this would be an all-new low, for her it was just an all-new middle. "May I ask…why?"

"What do ya mean? It's just polite to save drowning people, y'hear? Much less the royal family's kid, y'hear?" Onion-san gave what it clearly thought was a reassuring smile, but just served to creep the kids out even more than they already were.

"What about the rebellion?" Rusty asked, giving Amy a look that clearly told her to go along with anything he said.

Onion-san filled them in on what had been happening: It started out as a simple group of five or so people who thought that Asgore should just take the humans' SOULs, break the barrier, and then proceed on with the initial plan of wiping humanity off the face of the planet. Amy and Rusty listened on with a horrified fascination as they learned about how the rebellion started gaining momentum with the appearance of Rusty's parents, who the monsters had stereotyped as being what all humans were. Onion-san quickly cleared up any confusion, though.

"I'm not on their side, y'hear?" he said proudly. "I know there're some good humans out there, y'hear?"

Despite how odd this day already had been, Rusty and Amy couldn't help but smile at the sentiment. Even if they had known it from the start, it was somehow comforting to hear from a monster that they weren't all against the humans.

Onion-san continued with his report, and the humans' felt their hope slipping away. By this point, the rebel cult had gained several hundred members and had been forced to split into four smaller factions, each ruled by a "general." But, even above the generals, Onion-san reported, was their Commander. Nobody knew exactly who this commander was, but it was common knowledge that they were not someone to be trifled with.

"The problem, y'hear," Onion-san concluded, "is that nobody can trust anyone anymore. Why, for all you guys know, I could be the Commander, y'hear?"

Silence fell over the party as nobody know what to say, but Amy eventually broke the quiet with her usual kindness and compassion.

"Yeah, we would stick around, but you're creeping us the fuck out, so we're just gonna go. Sound good?" she asked, not even waiting for an answer as she sprinted from the cavern they were in. Rusty heaved a massive sigh and turned to Onion-san, giving an apologetic shrug as he chased after his sister. Before he left the room, though, he turned and gave Onion-san a weak smile.

"Thanks for everything. It's nice to know there are some people on our side." Onion-say gave a cheeky grin as he waved a tentacle goodbye and sunk back under the surface. Rusty allowed himself one more small glance back before running to Amy.

* * *

Cassidy could barely sit still, and Diane was really starting to get annoyed. The normally excitable boy was now physically bouncing up and down in the seat next to her, and she was really starting to get sick of hearing about how 'exciting' this whole ordeal was. They were traveling to Mt. Ebott for their geology class, though the teacher never gave them a solid answer as to _why_.

Cassidy, however, didn't care. He had heard the legends of the mountain. Anyone who climbed it was said never to return. For someone like him, this was a perfect opportunity to explore an all new area. From what their teacher had told them, getting permission to scale the mountain had taken several months, along with a metric butt-ton of paperwork to make sure that the only liable people going on this trip were the students themselves.

"This is going to be so much fun," Cassidy said for the millionth time. "We're actually going to spend a week out in the wilderness!"

 _Only you could get excited by a hiking trip,_ Sinon signed, the sarcasm evident on her face. _I personally don't see what's so fun about having to exercise…_

"Yes, well you're just lazy," Cassidy said, smiling. "You've got to work out, like I do!"

Nobody within earshot could deny that Cassidy was well-toned. He was adamant in his stance that in order to be a successful cosplayer, he needed to be in the physical shape of his characters. And, considering the high standards of anime, nothing short of hunk was acceptable.

"It's not a matter of laziness," Diane said, rolling her eyes. "It's a matter of not wanting to spend all of my next week on a mountain!"

"C'mon, the incline isn't that bad," Cassidy said. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if someone like you could climb it!"

Diane's insults were cut short by a loud hiss as the bus stopped. A look of concern briefly crossed Jack's face.

"W-we can't be there yet, can we?" he asked, when the front doors were forced open by an oddly dressed man.

"This is as far as you go," he announced to the entire bus. "Mt. Ebott is currently off limits."

"By whose authority?" the bus driver sneered. The man showed no remorse as he pulled a gun out from his jacket and put a bullet in the driver's abdomen. The poor man crumpled forwards, eyes wide in shock. Everyone present fell to a dead silence.

"By the authority of Avalon, you shall go no further. Is this understood?" the man asked, and nobody dared question him. The driver gave a slight groan, the depth of the situation hitting him. He pulled himself into an upright sitting position and spoke softly.

"You are not to hurt a single member of this bus. Do you understand?" he asked, and the assailant cocked his head a little. The gun was pulled out again, and the next bullet went into the driver's chest. He gave a small gasp before falling to the bus floor.

Nobody knows exactly who started screaming, but the cry was soon taken on by everyone on the bus. The assailant silenced them by giving a warning shot into the roof.

"Turn back now. We are doing this for your own good. Mt. Ebott it filled with many dangerous legends, many of which are true. We do not wish to end any more innocent lives today, but we shall if the need arises," the man said, and Cassidy recognized it had been rehearsed.

"How many people have you killed?" he asked, and the man glared at him. "You only give this speech if you kill someone, right? So how many people have you given this speech to?"

The man gave an evil sneer. "That is none of your business, understood?" he snarled, and Jack gave a small whimper as he sunk lower into his seat. "I will leave you now. Turn back. Any others who resist will be…punished," he gave a wicked smile, showing off a mouth full of yellowed teeth. He turned and exited the bus, leaving only the slight smell of smoke in his wake.

Nobody spoke as everyone present tried to take in what had just happened. Someone had just been murdered in front of their very eyes by someone who said he was trying to 'help' them. A person whose name they hadn't even known was now dead. Cassidy rose and stalked up to the front of the bus, his expression grim. "You should turn back," he said quietly, but Jack caught on soon enough.

"So what, we're just supposed to walk away after something like that happens?" he cried, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Of course not," Cassidy said. "Anyone who has a phone, raise your hand." All but a few hands shot up into the air, Jack's included. "Okay, Jack, I need you to call the police. Does anyone know exactly where we are?" Nobody did, so Cassidy simplified. "Alright, tell them we're on the only road leading up to Mt. Ebott. And make sure you tell them there are exactly nineteen people on the bus. Just in case something should happen, I want them to know when they have everyone."

 _Cassidy,_ Sinon signed, _there are twenty people on this bus._

Cassidy nodded knowingly. "Not for long, there won't be," he said, opening the bus door. "Nobody is to follow me, understood? You are to wait here for the police to arrive. If anyone tries to exit the bus," Cassidy shot every person on the bus a death glare, "I'll hear about it. Understood?" Everyone nodded, nobody daring to challenge Cassidy. "Jack, you have my number, right? If anyone tries to leave, give me a call, okay?"

"What's your plan?" a female student called from the back of the bus. Cassidy thought about it for a second.

"Simply put," he said, turning to exit the bus, "I have no idea."

It wasn't until later that someone realized that nobody had questioned Cassidy's self-assignment as leader.

* * *

Asgore gazed out of the window, an odd look of calm on his face. Toriel burst into the room, panting heavily.

"Amy and Rusty are gone," she cried, and Asgore only gave a slight nod. "There's no way they can beat an enemy this powerful!" Another nod. "Aren't you going to look for them? To try and stop them!?"

Asgore shook his head. He walked over to his closet, tearing open the doors to reveal a set of armor that had long since started gathering dust. "No," he said, grabbing the more well-used trident next to the armor. "They're going to need some assistance."

Toriel gave a small gasp as Asgore began fastening the armor onto his body. "Y-you surely can't mean…"

Asgore shot her a silencing look, and continued pulling on his armor. "I'm prepared to do whatever it takes," Asgore said matter-of factly. "It is my duty as the king of this realm to make sure everyone in it is safe. And, right now, the best way to do that is to end this rebellion at the root of the problem."

A soft paw placed itself on his shoulder, and Toriel felt a flame in her chest that hadn't been there for a long time. "As am I, milord," she said, her voice matching the fire in her eyes. "Let's go into this like we go into everything: together."

Asgore's face softened. "How did I ever get a woman as amazing as you?" Their lips touched, and they crossed the threshold of the castle hand in hand. "Chara!" Asgore rumbled. "You're in charge while we're gone!"

A loud cackle rang out through the castle's halls, followed quickly by a loud scream from Asriel.

* * *

"What's our plan" Jared asked the small wallaby, who had introduced himself as Johan. The last few hours had been rather…eventful…for Jared, as he was now standing inside the trunk of a fake tree, approaching one of the suspected generals of the rebellion. Johan was stalking next to him in a false bush, hissing orders through a phone. The marsupial shot him a dirty look before repeating the plan.

"I've told you, you dense meatloaf, we're going to apprehend this man on the authority of the Royal Guard!"

"You're a member of the Royal Guard?" Jared asked, and Johan gave a small snicker.

"Hell no. This is just to make it seem legitimate," he smirked. Jared was tempted to tell him that sneaking up to their target dressed a flora didn't sound very legitimate, but he thought better of it. After all, what was the worst that could happen?

At that very moment, the entire Underground began shaking violently.

* * *

Charlotte smirked wickedly at the entrance of the Underground. Her husband quivered violently next to her, at last realizing the implications of what had just happened. Charlotte, however, didn't care. She turned to her fellow members and spread her hands victoriously.

"My fellow members of Avalon," she cried over the cries of the cult, "our mission has succeeded!" The barrier shuddered violently behind her, all of the energy now held within it trying to find a way out. Charlotte merely waved her hand and the barrier fell still. "The monsters that once plagued our beloved world shall now be sealed away forever!"

"B-but…Rusty…" Mr. Hughes mumbled in mild shock, only to recoil as Charlotte's ringed finger collided with his cheek.

"He's no son of ours," she sneered, glaring at the mountain. Cassidy watched from the shadows in fascination as all seven members present, including his assailant, raised their hands in unison and began chanting. The barrier shuddered again, much more violently this time, but Charlotte's expression remained victorious. "Members of Avalon, we shall strengthen this barrier to the point that nothing will ever break it!"

Cassidy was shocked to find himself sweating. There had to be a way to stop this…didn't there?

… **I'm sorry you guys had to read that. Like I said, my writing style is going through some changes, and this chapter is what I'm referring to as the 'awkward pre-adolescent phase.'**

 **Anyways, onto your questions!**

 **1: Is Rusty going to permanently lose his arm?**

 **-Yes.**

… **And that's it for your guys' questions. Seriously, when I did this, I meant I would answer ANY question about these characters, as long as it isn't spoiler-y. I don't care if it's mundane, oddly specific, clean, or lewd. Any question goes.**


	13. Chapter 13

**See the bottom for Author's Notes and Q &A.**

 **- 2 Chapters Remain-**

 **-Divine Sheath-**

"Where do we go from here?" Asgore gazed at the map, deep in thought. It didn't look good for the rebels, with Amy proposing the leading of the Royal Guard in a pincer attack on the alleged base of the rebellion, where one of the Generals was rumored to be staying.

"We need to give them an opening to either the left or the right," Asgore said, pointing out his suggestion with his trident. "Lead them right into our forces." Toriel, however, shook her head.

"We should go in for a full-frontal attack," she said, brow furrowed in concentration. "Amy and I should lead a charge head one while Undyne attacks from the right and you attack from the left," she turned to Asgore. "They have a cliff to their rear, so they won't be able to retreat back. If we go with your suggestion, they will have a chance of escape. A small chance, true, but a chance regardless. Then there is the small matter of giving them false hope, only to tear it away so quickly." A look of pain crossed her face. "It seems rather cruel, does it not?"

"No, what they're doing to Rusty this very second is cruel," Amy said, not taking her eyes from the map. Even through the thick walls of the tent, sunlight still gleamed off her aqua breastplate. "This is merely justice for what they've done."

"Justice?" Jared gave cruel laugh as he entered the tent, Johan in tow. Both were dressed neck-to-toe in a fiery orange armor, save for Jared's hands, which were left uncovered. "There's no justice down here. Everyone thinks it's just a matter of being nice to each other, until suddenly someone isn't. What are they supposed to do when someone breaks this so-called 'peace?' I'm with Tori. We should go straight for them."

"Now yer talkin'!" Johan roared, pulling sabre from a sheath on his back. "This'll be good!"

"Everyone," Amy interrupted, her voice weak. Everyone jumped in unison. "You're all wrong. What we need to do now," she suggested, growing pale in a stark contrast to her lightly blue tinted armor, "is retreat. We should split up while we're at it."

"What're ya talkin' 'bout?" Johan asked.

"We've only just gotten back together, and you're suggesting we break apart already?" Jared asked, giving a brief scowl. While many people thought of his apology as rather half-assed, Amy had accepted it anyway. Undyne just thought she was happy to talk to him again, but he kept it to herself.

"This isn't a suggesting, this is an order," Amy bark, and everyone stood at attention. "I've run through every situation in my head, and everything points to this being a trap. That tip that told us to come here seemed rather thin to start, but now I'm sure of it. We need to pull out as soon as possible."

Jared was so shocked, he didn't even make a joke about pulling out. "There's no way you could have looked at every possible outcome of this. There's millions of factors that could change what happens, and you're telling me you've thought of all of them?"

"It does sound rather ridiculous," Asgore said, but he nodded regardless. "But I trust you on this. Your intuition is what led us to this camp, so I'm going to trust your intuition in getting us out of this alive."

Toriel and Jared shared a look, one that clearly stated their plans. Asgore gave a small rumble from his chest, sensing danger. Before he could interrupt, however, the tent flap was ripped open and a voice filled the room.

"You've got a pretty major issue coming this way," a male voice said, and everyone turned in unison to see Cassidy fall to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

-2 hours ago-

-Somewhere in Waterfall-

"It's this way, I know it," Amy said confidently, Rusty wheezing behind her. They had been on the move for what seemed like hours, and Rusty was seriously starting to doubt Amy's directional skills. "I mean…this way! It's definitely this way!"

"Will you just give it a rest and admit we're lost?" Rusty heaved, ready to vomit. The nice clothes Asgore and Tori had provided were as good as ruined, his feet were covered in blisters, and the wound on his chest had re-opened, dyeing his chest a horrible red. Amy, however, was too busy getting lost to notice her adoptive brother's issues.

"I won't admit we're lost, because we aren't. We're simply…misplaced…"

"We're lost," Rusty said, stumbling a little but managing to pick himself up. "And we need to stop and…gather our…"

"Why'd you trail off-OH MY GOD RUSTY," Amy shrieked as the younger boy fell to the ground and was still. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU NEEDED TO STOP?" No response.

"Leave him to me," a voice soothed. "You just watch out for yourself. There's a lot of hunters out right now."

Amy whirled around and found herself face-to face with Jared.

"We've got an issue, sweetheart. The rebellion knows we're no longer in the hands of the Royal Family. We're virtually on our own at the moment."

"Why should I trust you?" Amy snarled, and Jared gave a small wince.

"Quite honestly, you shouldn't. But right now, it's your only option. The enemy has been alerted to our presence. Luckily, however, they're weakened at the moment. One of the four generals has been sent to jail, along with another's body double getting sent, too."

"How do you know all of this," Amy asked. Despite everything that had happened between them, she couldn't help but feel comfort in such a familiar face.

"We'll worry about that later. For now, we've got to get to a safe zone. Please, Amy," Jared offered out a hand. "I really need your help right now."

"Oh sure, now you need my help?" Amy shook her head. "You really are just a coward. Acting like such a hero until you finally figured out exactly what they were going to do to you. There's no way I could ever trust you again!"

"Maybe not," Jared's voice turned harsh. "But what are you going to do when Rusty dies because he can't get the attention he needs?"

Amy glanced down at the boy in her lap, her eyes welling up with tears. If it was for Rusty…

"Alright," she muttered. "Let's go."

* * *

"Charlotte," James pleaded. "We have to stop now, before it's too late!"

"Too late for what?" his wife asked sweetly at the other five members continued their chant. "We merely plan to purify a cruel, heartless land!"

James winced, but turned to the other members of the cult. A husband and wife who claimed their daughter had also fallen into the mountain. A half-insane man who felt nothing other than hatred. A man whose brother was also supposedly in the mountain they were sealing away. And then there was Sirius…

Sirius had wandered into town one day, blood staining his hands and a mad look in his eyes. Naturally, the police arrested him on the spot for the murder of his girlfriend. There were three cops who confronted him. In the end, the man was seen walking away from three barely recognizable corpses, blood trailing down from his mouth.

So, of course, Charlotte immediately took a liking to the man who they didn't even know the past of. But the cold, empty look in his eyes signified an even deeper danger. Something dark. Something deadly. Something inhuman.

These seven had been joined with a common goal: seal the entrances to Mt. Ebott, no matter the cost. Though their reasons were different, the final product remained the same; monsters would never again see the light of day.

Cassidy crouched lower into the shadow of his hiding place. He needed the police, but what would they do? Just listen to the ramblings of some kid? So Cassidy made a split second decision to end this here and now. No matter what happened, he could not allow these people to succeed.

* * *

 **I'm sorry for the long wait, only to get an extremely short chapter. A lot of things have been going on in life, which I won't get into here. To make a long story short, between mid-terms, spring break, and the untimely passing of a loved one, writing has been the last thing on my mind. I pray you'll all understand.**

 **On a lighter note, I've started yet another series, one which I intend to complete, much like this one. You may have already seen it, but if not, it's a Sly Cooper fanfic (which, if you haven't played the games, I would highly recommend them.)**

 **Now, though, onto your questions!**

 **-Who is your favorite character to write for?**

 **Tied between Ingus in my FFIII Novelization (Which I swear I'm working on,) Rusty in this story, or Kuiper in Rogue's Gallery. I just like writing smartasses.**

 **-Which character is most like you?**

 **All of my characters act as an individual 'aspect' of my real personality: Rusty with kindness, Amy with her impatience, Jared with cowardice and perversion, Jared with hyperactivity, etc. The character MOST like me, though, is going to be Kuiper in Rogue's Gallery. He's the closest I can get to a shitty self-insert without him actually being a shitty self-insert.**

 **-Who is your overall favorite character?**

 **Rusty. No question about it.**

 **-Why are your characters written the way they are?**

 **Like I said, the characters are all 'aspects' of myself. I write what I know, and I know myself very well.**

 **-What got you into Undertale?**

 **Tumblr.**

 **-Where did you get the idea for this?**

 **I was writing Overtale, and thought to myself, 'You know what this story needs more off? Not death.' The rest is history.**

 **-How many chapters will you have?**

 **Your guess is as good as mine. This is not going to be ending anytime soon, though. Don't worry about that…**

 **-How often do you upload?**

 **Whenever I finish a chapter. Occasionally, I'll revise, but more often than not, you're getting the absolute base version of the chapters. Sometime in the future, I'll go back and make some minor revisions to make it read smoother.**

 **-Can we get a double upload?**

 **If there's enough interest.**

 **-Is Rusty x Amy done for?**

 **I'm leaving it up to you guys what ships appear. Whatever there's interest in, I'll write. I'm essentially a writing slut.**

 **-Do you enjoy watching us suffer?**

 **Immensely.**

 **…And that's all I can answer without giving away some massive spoilers for the end of this plot arc. However, if you really want to know, you can PM me, and I'll answer there.**

 **Again, sorry for the long wait, but I promise I'll make it up to you. It just may take a while, is all…**


	14. Chapter 14

**Warning: Chapter contains references of self-harm. Reader discretion is advised.**

 **- 1 Chapter Remains-**

 **-Farewells-**

"Amy, we have to go, NOW!" Jared pleaded, another arrow narrowly missing his face. "I don't like it any more than you do, but we have to leave him!" Johan had been separated long ago, screaming something about 'scouting this path instead!'

"I'm not leaving Rusty," Amy said, tears streaking down her cheek as she dragged the younger boy behind her. "They're going to kill him!"

"And then they'll have one SOUL!" Jared roared as a blast of ice narrowly passed him. "If they get us, they'll have three!" The cavern they were fleeing down began shrink to the pointwhere they almost had to crawl.Still, though, Amy refused to loosen her grip on Rusty. "I know it sounds bad, but we have to cut our losses. It's what Rusty would want!"

"How could you possibly know th-AH?" Amy let out a roar as a blast of fire ignited the hem of her shirt. "If I let go," she explained, tears streaming down her face, "he's gone. And I can't have that on my conscience!"

"If we just get through this cavern, we can get back to the others! We can get the backup we need, and we can get him back!" Jared screamed as another fireball hit the ceiling just above him, sending rocks tumbling on the boy. "But if you can't make it, I'll help you through this part. It gets really narrow." Jared offered out his hand, a soft orange glow barely noticeable through the flashes of battle. Amy grabbed her brother's hand. A look of shock and betrayal had barely registered on her face before a flash of orange illuminated the cave, and she was gone, leaving Rusty behind.

"I'm sorry, bro," Jared turned his back to Rusty. "But the many outnumber the one. Please don't be too angry." He crawled through a final opening, and away from his limp friend.

There had been tears, of course. And screaming and punching. Mostly from Amy, although Asgore and Toriel were none too pleased with Jared, either. Asriel simply refused to believe he was gone. The bad guys may have gotten him but that didn't mean he was dead, right? He was just captured. He could be rescued, and that's what they were doing so why was everyone just sitting around looking so sad while Rusty was out there with the enemy? Nobody answered him, of course. How do you tell a kid that his best friend was probably dead?

Chara, however, had her own method of coping. "We need to find them," she was adamant, "and we need to kill the people responsible. Starting with this coward," she gestured to Jared, who grimaced. After a moment of consideration, Amy shook her head.

"I was only doing what was best. If I had done nothing, we would probably be dead, Amy," Jared said, though he did look rather pitiful with his head between his legs. "I only did what was smart. Even if it wasn't right, it was smart."

"Do I look like I care?" Amy asked, her expression blank. "Do I look like I give two shits about what's 'smart?' Because I don't. You didn't do it because it was right, you did it because you were scared. That's the only reason you've done a damn thing down here. You're always so scared that you're going to get hurt."

"Amy," Asgore warned, shooting the girl a glare. The king had been much more sympathetic to Jared's plight, though he was as upset as anyone else about Rusty. "Jared's right. Even if it is unfortunate at Rusty's loss, we need to continue moving forwards with our plan. Now more than ever, this rebellion must be squelched. And I need your help to do this."

"If it means working with this coward," Amy said, "then you can count me out."

* * *

In that moment, a lot of things happened at once. Rusty's eyes shot open, meeting only darkness. Suddenly, a massive flash of light illuminated the grimy room he was apparently trapped in. He tried to stand, only to find himself handcuffed to the wall. No discernable doors were on any of the walls, and the only apparent decorations to the room was a single, pathetic looking lightbulb on the ceiling and a metal arch nailed to the wall that he was currently handcuffed to. That, and a tall, elegant woman looming directly in front of the boy.

"Hello, darling," the woman's voice was smooth as silk, and Rusty immediately felt his inhibitions leaving him. "It's good to see you're alive. After all, you have to be there for your own ceremony, isn't that right?"

Amy, back at the Royal Castle, pointed a dagger directly at Jared's heart. "Give me a reason," she growled as the Dreemurrs around her screamed in horror. "Tell me right now why I shouldn't kill you here and now."

Jared, eyes as determined as ever, met her gaze without flinching. "Because I know where they took Rusty. And I can bring you there." Amy faltered, only for a second. That was all Jared needed to fly from his chair and shove a fist directly into her jaw.

Cassidy took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. This was not revenge. This was retribution. This was not sin. This was penance. This was not wrong. This was justice. Giving a massive roar, he fearlessly leapt from his hiding place, directly into the crowd of shocked cultists.

* * *

"My…ceremony…?" Rusty repeated slowly, the words sounding foreign from his mouth. The woman nodded patiently as her new charge tried to handle this now information. She was very pretty, in a monster-y way. Smartly dressed and confidently poised, she gave of an air of sheer self-assurance.

"Yes, my darling," the words flowed effortlessly off her tongue, like they were eager to leave her presence. "Your ceremony. You're going to make a lot of people down here very happy. And all you have to do is show up and do exactly what I tell you to do."

"Sounds…easy enough…" Rusty stumbled, eyes not leaving his apparent captor. "What…what is it I would have to do?"

"Oh, it's extremely easy," the woman assured Rusty. "The extraction of the SOUL from the human body without injuring the SOUL is a tricky job. One that I am pleased to say I have the fullest confidence in completing." There were those beautiful words again. Nothing they said could ever be untruthful, right? "I'm afraid you will not survive the procedure. But don't be afraid, my love. Your sacrifice will pave the way for the future of monsters."

"My…sacrifice…" Rusty repeated. "The future…of monsters…"

* * *

Cassidy clawed helplessly at the muscular hand wrapped around his throat. The person attached to this hand gave a toothy grin, and a wave of nausea ran through Cassidy as he realized he was probably going to die.

"You're a tough one, I'll give you that," the man name Sirius said. "You even managed to get a good hit in on me. But I'm afraid your story ends here." There was a noise as a switchblade was drawn. Cassidy gave a weak gasp as a sharp pain tore through his chest. Instantly, dark circles began dancing around the edge of his eyesight. Still, though, he refused to lose consciousness. Doing that would mean immediate death.

"I'm…not…finished…" the boy muttered, though it could barely be heard over the continued chant of the other five remaining members. Cassidy had made short work of Zion, but Sirius couldn't complain. He was planning on killing him later anyways. In fact, the knife that Cassidy shoved into Zion's throat may have 'fallen' from Sirius's pocket.

"Yes," Sirius chuckled, "you are." Pain short through Cassidy once more, this time originating from his lower abdomen. "Does that hurt? Doesn't it just make you wish you were dead? Don't worry, I'll be more than happy to oblige. All you have to do is admit defeat."

"Never," Cassidy said, his face filled with determination. But there was something else lingering in his golden yellow eyes. An intense feeling…and intense sense…

…of JUSTICE.

Sirius's eyes narrowed, and he raised his hand for one final attack. He was stopped, however, when the ground burst to pieces beneath him.

* * *

A seventh grade boy sat alone on the playground's bench, tears rolling silently down his cheeks. Of course, nobody asked him what was wrong. Everyone around him knew better than to talk to this boy.

Jared had always loved jokes. Telling jokes, hearing jokes, pulling jokes, all of it was such a blast to him. Ever since he was a kid, he would jump at every possible occasion to make light of an otherwise dark situation. And having a drunk father and a dead mom meant there were a lot of dark situations.

But then, as he started growing up, the jokes started getting even…funnier. Especially after he came out in seventh grade. Already, by that point, he knew there was no sense in only loving a person because they were the opposite gender. Love was love. Right? Gender shouldn't matter. Right? All of his classmates would understand.

Right?

A lot of them did understand. At first, most of his classmates stopped talking to him for a while, but Jared knew what it was like wanting to be alone. He was sure they just needed some time to process this, and then the jokes would start right back up, right?

Right.

Soon, everyone was back to joking around with him again. Those funny words, like 'faggot' and 'mistake.' They had to be jokes, right? After all, his dad called him the exact same things, and they couldn't all be bullying him, right? And then there was the entire concept of bullying. Why couldn't people just take a joke? Everyone was just so serious, but Jared still had to joke around, otherwise they would get even angrier.

Right.

So the jokes continued. In eighth grade, one girl even forwarded him an e-mail demonstrating how to tie a noose. She sent a funny little text, something along the lines of 'do everyone a favor and study.' Those were the jokes he liked the least. The ones saying everyone treated him like this. There were a few people who tried to stop the jokes, but they always came to school the next day with a few new bruises on their bodies, so people learned not to try and stop the jokes.

Right.

So the jokes continued. In ninth grade, one boy even bought him a bottle of bleach, and encouraged him to drink it in front of the entire school body. The only thing that stopped him was a teacher who told Jared that 'she was concerned he's hanging around the wrong people.' Jared assured her that it was just kids being kids, and they were only joking with him. She didn't notice the scars running along the length of his arm. It's not like they mattered.

Right.

So the jokes continued. In tenth grade, a bottle of pills showed up mysteriously in his locker, with the label, _chug me._

And the jokes continued. In tenth grade, a teacher called him a fag in front of the entire class.

And the jokes continued. In tenth grade, his father went to the hospital from alcohol poisoning.

And the jokes continued. In tenth grade, the scars starting cutting a bit deeper into his arm.

And the jokes continued. In tenth grade, 'kill yourself' was splattered on his house in red paint.

And the jokes continued. In tenth grade, tears spilled from Jared's eyes as he downed the entire container of pills given to him.

And the jokes stopped.

At the hospital, Jared was treated like he survived only by a fluke. Like he should be dead now. Like his very existence was a mistake.

Jared found himself agreeing with them.

And the jokes stopped. In eleventh grade, Jared lost his virginity to a woman he found on the streets. From there on, there were no more jokes.


End file.
